The Italian Dragon Emperor
by Bakuganman
Summary: (DISCLAIMER: I don't own High School DxD, just this story.) What if the main protagonist remained human? What if something went wrong during the reincarnation/Evil Piece process? Join the OC, Anthony Messuri, as his life changes forever upon meeting a certain red-haired Devil...
1. Chapter 1

Good day/evening DXD archive. While I was thinking of a new story idea, this one came to me like Raynare's light spear through my heart... eh, bad example. We've all seen Issei be OP, less perverted and even a female in fanfiction; but here's an idea that I know NO-ONE has ever done. What if the main protagonist remained human? What if something went wrong during the reincarnation/Evil Piece process? Now before we continue; let me point out a few things so if you don't like where this story will go... then go.

1) I have nothing against Issei, in fact I think we can ALL agree he's every mans' (perverted or not) hero. He gets all the power, all the girls, the silliest gags, the attention... the girls. Bottom line; while I love him to death (no homo), he will be replaced by an OC of mine.

2) This is NOT Harem stealing, as Issei's personality with be implemented into another character, so its not like he'll be gone... honestly, ya can't have DXD without perversion. This OC will be a high schooler; and ALL boys are slightly perverted anyway, some just control it better than others.

3) I have not read the manga (though I plan to at some point), but I do have limited knowledge of it. So this will be based of the anime. That shouldn't be a big deal anyway, as the anime is praised for being just as good as the manga itself.

4) After reading many reviews on many DXD fics, they mostly say the same thing: _Why did he become a devil?, for once can we get one fic without the main male being a devil/angel?_ Think of this as an answer to your prayers.

5) I honestly don't care for the hentai scenes or what-cha-ma-call-them in the DXD franchise (doesn't mean I don't like them though), just the fact that the writer had the BALLS to create a universe surrounding Christianity! Seriously, I can't believe he managed to get away with something like that, but god bless his soul!

If you don't like ANY of this, then leave. Don't waste my time or yours. This is also only an intro, so don't judge it until you've at LEAST read the next chapter, which should be ready in another week.

* * *

**Prologue:**

The sound of his alarm clock rang through his room, slapping the top of it to shut it up. Yawning and stretching his muscles was a young man who looked very out-of-place in a country like this. He stood 5'8 with brown hair and eyes, had an average figure with an average build. His facial features looked American with a hint of Italian, he also looked slightly older than his actual age of 16, which was due to him being a preemie... and the doctors said he wouldn't make it, whose laughing now? His name was Anthony Messuri. How did he end up here you ask? After his parents passed away 8 years ago back in the United States; he never learned how or why, just one day a fire started in his American home and he ran out of there; he was sent to a Church home, where he met a young blond girl who was training to be a nun. He got to know this girl real well, he even won her a stuffed doll from a crane game after several minutes of frustration.

Sadly, the Church decided Anthony was making the blond girl 'impure' due to her wanting to be a nun, so they sent him away. Both children cried of course, but there was nothing they could do...

A few years later, Anthony ran away from his foster home due to constant bulling. None of the teachers there did much other than scold the kids that preyed on him, that just lead to Anthony being called a tattletale and picked on even more. He had enough and escaped, opting to live life on his own... his own way. Of course, he was only 13 at the time, so getting a job in America was easier dreamed of than doable. Hearing that the legal age in another part of the world was 13, Anthony made a plan to go there. He'd sneak into a plane (which was EXTREMELY hard due to all the shit that happened after 9/11) and make his way there. He didn't care where he went, anything to get off this rock.

He ended up in Japan, but it wasn't exactly what he hoped for. Many there weren't exactly kind to foreigners. People tried to take advantage of him, thinking they didn't know the laws. Luckily for Anthony, his farther worked for the U.S. government so he knew about eastern customs, as well as some of the language, but only basic. He struggled to survive, to eat, to make ends meet; but he did work for a restaurant that was run by a kind, old man. With his help, Anthony was able to learn more about Japan and its culture, as well as make enough money to get his own place. It took 3 years of hard work, but he overcame all the odds the world threw at him... except one...

High School.

After getting his daily routine started and eating his breakfast (which he didn't mean to brag, but he made a DAMN good breakfast); he got dressed in his Kuoh Academy uniform, ready to start another day of school. Little did he know, this particular day... would change his life... forever...

-TIME BREAK-

As Anthony approached the gates of Kuoh, he reflected on to the sheer grand design of the building. It was a large building, bigger-than-your-average-bear school, and that it was privately owned. Who'd spend so much money on one school, the Italian-American didn't know.

One thing he DID know, was this school used to be a girls-only school... which was the reason he's had yet to find a boys bathroom WITHOUT tampon garbage cans, and the reason why the girl-to-boy ratio was insanely low. Not that the kid was complaining, he knew a catch when he saw one. In fact unlike when he first arrived to this country, girls swarmed him like bees. He's heard that while foreign people weren't treated as equal, that didn't mean that they weren't... "admired", so to speak.

The other problem, was the only girl Anthony had ever talked to aside from his mother was that in-training nun he grew close too. He wondered how she was doing nowadays, she probably forgot all about him after all these years... just thinking that made his heart ache, but life wasn't fair, was it?

As he passed through the gates he could overhear the other students gossiping about him when they think he couldn't hear them.

**Male Student #1:** _(has 2 other boys with him, looking in Anthony's direction)_ Hey look... it's that foreign student, again.

**Male Student #3:** Just what I need.. my girl won't stop talking about him._ (mimics girlfriends voice, with hands on his cheeks)_ Oh, he's so kind and gentle...

**Female Student #2:** _(is gossiping with 5 other girls, but notices Anthony out of her eyes corner)_ Isn't that Anthony Messuri?

**Female Student #3:** _(whispers)_ He's kinda cute!

**Female Student #5: **_(is impressed, but dismissive)_ Eh, Kiba's more my type...

**Female Student #1:** At least he's not a Pervert like almost every other guy here... speaking of which, did you hear what the Perverted Duo did this morning...?

Anthony's heard comments like this 1000's of times before, but he didn't really care. All he wanted was to stay out of trouble, as talking is what got him bullied in the first place.

The last comment caught his attention though, he quickly discovered that the school had two male students by the names of Motohama and Matsuda, AKA the 'perverted duo'. They seemed to make it their mission sneak a peek at every single girl in the academy; in the hopes of catching a glimpse at their panties, a nip slip, or even full frontal nudity.

Anthony had a few classes with them, they actually weren't too bad... though he had to keep them in line. When he first got here, he caught them peeping at girls from the locker room window and being the good samaritan he was... let the ladders 'close in'. They tried beating him up in front of the entire school near the fountain after they got beaten up by 100 girls, but thanks to the years of being bullied, Anthony knew how to defend himself despite his average look.

Needless to say, the duo nor any other boy dared tried to take him... they're were a few larger groups that did, but they met the same fate. Not without Anthony getting injured of course, and girls beg- *ahem* requested to help him... he politely declined, as flattered as he was.

After school let out, Anthony headed to the back of the school to explore the wooded area. It was refreshing as no one took this path, and he preferred to be alone most of the time. People were weird, and he'd rather stay away from that shit.

It wasn't much longer before he came across a clearing on his path that he's never seen before... he must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, but he pressed on, curious on where this path will take him. He stumbled upon an old-looking building, it appeared to be 100 years old, maybe more. He's heard about this place thounsands of times from the student body, it was the club room of the Occult Research Club... how anyone could make a club with that name and not be investigated, Anthony didn't know.

The only thing he DID know was the ORC had only four members; said members were hailed as the most popular, well-known and adored students in the entire campus. Kabia Yuuto, the pretty boy and only male member; a first-year named Koneko Toujou, considered to be Kuoh's mascot; and last but not least, Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima, who where looked up to as the "Great Ladies". He's seen all members of this club throughout the school, and had to admit "Great Ladies" was a fitting title. Both girls were beautiful beyond reason, it's like they were goddesses or something.

Then... it happened.

A window had opened with an oddly loud creek. Looking up, Anthony saw a sight that he'd remember for the rest of his life. Standing in the open window, was one of the "Great Ladies" herself! Crimson-Red hair, deep blue eyes, a figure that would drive both men and women insane... not doubt, this was the famous Rias Gremory.

She looked down at him, he looked up at her... time seemed to just screech to a hault. After what seemed like minutes though only seconds, Anthony smiled warmly at her. Clearly, the girl wasn't expecting that as her facial expression gave that away, but she returned the smile with one of her own as a breeze suddenly blew through; sending the woman's hair swirling around her body. Anthony didn't know how much longer they stood like this, talking in each other's appearances, but turned and walked away when he realized it was already past 4:00. He needed to get home.

**_P.O.V Swap: Rias_**

Rias Gremory continued to look out of the window at the strange boy, there was something about him that she sensed, but couldn't figure out what it was. Then he smiled at her, causing her heart to skip a beat... she didn't expect it, but recovered and returned it. She continued to watch the boy until he disappeared into the wood completely.

With a last glance at where he was just standing, Rias turned away from the window, returning her attention to the chess game she was playing with her vice-president and close friend, Akeno Himejima. The young woman herself was leaning back into her chair drinking her tea. Rias sat opposite of Akeno and looked back at the chess board, though she couldn't fully concentrate as that boy was still on her mind.

"Anthony Messuri" Akeno said, completely out of the blue as she put her cup down on the table and moved her black rook to take one of Rias' white pawns, taking its place on the board and putting the discarded pawn on the side of the board to join the rest of Rias' fallen pieces. "Beg your pardon?" Rias said in confusion as she moved her knight to take Akeno's last remaining bishop.

"That boy you were checking out before he ran away, his names Anthony Messuri. A foreigner from the west" Akeno replied sweetly, smiling as she took her own turn, taking Rias' knight with a rook. "I... I was not checking him out" Rias denied as she moved one of pawns towards Akeno's king, declaring check. "Hmhm, right. Tell that to your past self as you stared out that window for the last 3 minutes" Akeno teased, moving her King and taking the pawn. "Well, he came across our property. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't... lost" Rias excised, moving her bishop and declaring checkmate, slamming her piece on the board as she did so.

Akeno looked across the board for a possible way out. With none available, she sighed and acted extremely disappointed at the game's outcome; but she was fully aware of her president's capabilities when it came to playing chess and knew she was a long way from beating her.

"So he's a foreigner?" Rias muttered as she leaned back in her seat, glancing out of the window where she was talking to Anthony. "Why the sudden interest? Could the Great Rias Gremory, be crushing on the American human?" Akeno asked innocently as she glanced across the table at her friend.

"No, just... I don't know. There's just... something about him I find... different" Rias said deep in thought. Ever since she arrived in the human world, she acknowledged the fact that she would be ogled by men on account of her body. She knew she was an extremely attractive woman by anyone's standards and whenever she was out in public, she could always feel the eyes of men around her staring all over her body, particularly on her front and back ends. Being a Devil, she knew something like this would happen, as it became the unofficial status quo with her and the rest of Kuoh.

However, that boy just now... Anthony, was it? Rias couldn't fail to notice that, during the short one-on-one, he didn't ogle or drool over her body... not even once. Instead, he stared right into her eyes and didn't take his gaze away from them. She couldn't remember the last time anyone wasn't completely transfixed by her.

It wasn't just that though. She could also sense, or rather feel, something else about him. She wasn't completely sure what it was, but it needed further investigation...


	2. Chapter 2

April Fools! The next chapter's here in only 2 days! I actually had it written before the prologue, so that's why its early. Before we begin, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in a PM or in a review. Without further adu, let's start!

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**Chapter 1: Stabbed through the Heart**

While walking home, Anthony came to a stop on a bridge which overlooked one of the three rivers that flowed through Kuoh. His mind kept drifting back to that Rias chick. He only had 3 words about her...

Bella.

Bella.

And hot-damn Bella! He couldn't believe his luck, capturing the attention of such a hot girl out of the blue like that. Then again, she was probably already taken. Leaning against the bridge railings, he overlooked the river below the orange sky, as the sun set on another day.

"Umm… excuse me?... Your Anthony, right?" A meek voice asked from behind him. Turning his neck toward the sound of the voice, he spotted a girl with a slender figure and long black hair, wearing the girl version of the school uniform. Anthony had to admit, this new girl was pretty cute. The girl looked very nervous for some reason, her feet shuffling back and forth. "Ya see any other Italian around here? What's up?" He said, kindly. If he learned one thing about talking with girls, it's that they like a charismatic guy. It was a good way to crack the ice before getting to know the person underneath.

The girl blushed at this before taking a few steps forward. "H-Hi. M-My name is Yuuma. I n-need to ask you something" said the girl, calling herself Yuuma. "Ok, what's wrong?" Anthony asked her. "Will you... will you..." Yuuma began to ask, trailing off each time. "Will you fix my car? Will you make me some pastina?" Anthony joked, trying to lighten the mood to make it more comfortable. Looking up with determination, she blurted out quickly: "WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!"

Anthony was caught off guard, but only for a second. This wasn't the first time a cute girl asked him out without a proper explanation. Throughout middle school, girls would approach him and ask him because "it was a dare, I had to do it", then walk away with their friends giggling. It was sort of a _rite_ _of_ _passage_ kinda deal. "Ok... real funny, I know the game" he sighed. "What?" Asked Yuuma with a shocked face. She was a good faker, Anthony had to admit... that almost sounded genuine. "Go tell your friends in the bushes over there you failed, you could use an acting coach. It was a nice attempt though, you almost had me" Anthony said, beginning to walk away.

SMOOSH!

Suddenly, Anthony felt softness against his back. Despite her figure, she had pretty nice... he mentally slapped himself, getting back to reality. "It's not a joke, I swear! You seem to be a great, gentle guy; you always get those Perverts to back off the girls locker rooms... and your real handsome and... eep! S-sorry!" Said Yuuma, sounding like she was heartbroken upon rejection, but didn't want to give up without a fight. As she let go and held herself in shame, Anthony couldn't help but blush. Being called cute was one thing, but handsome was another... was this girl actually serious? Did she REALLY just want to go on a date?

If this was some kind of prank, this girl was stupefacente at it. But on the odd chance that it was real...

"Your serious? Someone like me? I'm not some random guy to practice on, am I?" Asked Anthony. Yuuma looked utterly shocked at his question, and shook her head vigorously, her hair going with it. "No, NOOO! I really mean it! I wanna... wanna... get to know you better..." Yuuma said, becoming shy again. Anthony couldn't help but chuckle, this girl kinda reminded him of the in-training nun he used to know or that pink-haired girl from a manga he used to read... all she was missing now was a rosary...

He certainly couldn't deny her after that. When he told her as such, she came at him like a blur, hugging him tightly. He was more-so aware of her generous curves, including the ones at the front... "THANK YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" Yuuma cheered with glee.

-TIME BREAK-

Sunday... the dawn of the date had arrived. They had an amazing time! Trying on clothes, laser tag, a huge mall and even lunch at a diner; Yuuma looked like she was having a ball! As the day came to an end, the new couple found themselves in the park as dusk fully set in. Yuuma held Anthony's hand as they walked and stopped in front of the park fountain... Kuoh seemed that have a fascination with them as one was present almost everywhere they went. Yuuma brought Anthony out of his thoughts by suddenly moving ahead and looking up into his eyes.

"I had a wonderful day today. Thank you so much, Anthony" Yuuma said with a bright smile of her face. Anthony couldn't help but smile back, this girl was too cute. "No problem, had to make sure our first date was a good one" he said, sheepishly. While he had been on dates with the in-training nun back in America, he wouldn't actually call them 'dates' as they were only a few minutes at a time, then she had to return to the church for a bible study. Yuuma then began to blush for some reason, he feet where shuffling again. "C-Can I... ask you a question?" She asked, shyly. Anthony's heart fluttered for a second, the way she said it was adorable. "Sure, everything ok?" He asked. "Yes, everything was perfect, but I have to ask..." she began, getting close to Anthony's ear. "Would you die for me?"

The Italian-American flinched, not expecting that sentence to come out of Yuuma's mouth. "Uhhhh... well, if ya mean I'll take a bullet for you... then sure" he said, trying to hide his discomfort. "Oh, that's sweet... how about a spear?" Yuuma asked, her voice suddenly sounding older. He turned around to face her...

What he saw... will forever haunt him...

The girl he was just dating moments ago was suddenly dressed in extremely provocative clothing which appeared out of nowhere, barely covering her body at all. Her bust had also increased. But the thing that really got him was the pair of black wings which had sprouted from behind her... actual wings! They were as black as a raven! Holding up her arms, some kind of spear manifested out of thin air, looking like it was made of pure light. Looking at Anthony with the eyes of a predator and a sadistic smirk, she threw it right at him!

Shaking off his initial terror, he dodged to the side, but this crazy bitch was scarily accurate, the spear of light just grazing his brand new shirt. Another second, he would have been an Italian-Kebab!

"HEY! CHE CAZZO A MATTER WITH YOU?!" Anthony shouted in Italian, with a mix of both fear and anger. Angry because he was attacked, fear because this was a unknown creature. "You promised you'd die for me, so DIE!" Said Yuuma, making another spear and tossing it, faster this time! Anthony once again dodged. Part of him wanted to run, but another part of him was curious as to why this girl was attacking him. Now that he got a better look at her wings, they looked feathery... like an angels... was she an angel of death, or was this what his Grandmother meant by: "heaven's angels will carry your spirit to heaven?"

"W-What about our date?" He asked, but Yuuma just laughed at him. "Don't worry, that date was everything I could've wanted. You really know how to treat a girl... but I still have to kill you" she answered, preparing another spear. Sadly, Anthony couldn't avoid this one completely, it ended up going straight through his right leg. The pain was incredible! The spear, like the 2 others from earlier, vanished into thin air after a few seconds, leaving Anthony with a gaping hole in his leg. Yuuma showed no remorse upon her act... on the contrary, she looked pleased with herself. "It's been fun, but you were just too dangerous to live. Couldn't have your Sacred Gear awaken, Azazel's orders" said Yuuma, throwing one last spear of light, this time into Anthony's chest! It missed his heart, but it still hurt like hell. Sneering at the downed human, she considered her work done and she flew off.

_'Sacred Gear... che diavolo è quella merda? A new Yu-Gi-Oh card series?'_ Anthony thought to himself... and Azazel, why did that name sound familiar? He'll worry about that later. Right now, he needed to get to a hospital and... pfft, that'll be a good story.

-FANTASY-

"Good evening, Mister Messuri. I'm Doctor... whoa. The fuck happened to you?"

"Oh nothing, just an angel stabbed me in the heart after our date... wait, where ya going?... H-H-HEY! Put that syringe down, I'M NOT CRAZY!"

-END FANTASY-

Anthony collected all his remaining strength and, with a groan of intense pain; rose to his feet, holding the gaping hole in his chest. He only moved about 2 feet before falling to his knees... he lost allot of blood, he wasn't gonna last much longer. He called for help, but it came out as a horse wail. He tried again... same result. Was this it? Was getting killed by one of Gods servants his fate? What had he ever done wrong? He fell to the ground as these questions ran through his head... he didn't want to die. As his eyes began closing, he saw someone approach him... that angel come to finish the job?... no. This new figure was wearing a skirt, one of Kuoh Academy's...

He blacked out, darkness overtaking him...

-TIME BREAK-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"GAAAAAAH!" Shouted Anthony, gasping from brea-... wait. Why was his alarm going off? Shutting it off, he looked around. He was back in his home, in his own room... how? Was that all just a dream? No way... it felt real... TOO real.

...

...

...

And when did he take his shirt off... and the rest of his clothes? He started feeling his chest... nothing. He ran a hand down his leg.. still nothing. No blood, no holes... just skin. "I... I'm alive?... maybe I should stop eating ravioli's before bed, but why the hell am I naked?" He asked aloud. Chalking it up to his dinner Saturday night, he started getting up. Putting his hands on the covers to pick himself up...

Smoosh.

"The hell? What's my pillow doing under..."

It was NOT his pillow.

"S-S-SANTO CIELO!" He yelped, seeing something or rather, some-THINGS, that he didn't think he'd see until he was married. It was not one, but 2 mounds of flesh, attached to a girl in... "A girl... in my bed? N-N-No way, no fucking way!" He stuttered. If this were any other situation, this would be awesome. Either the girl heard his voice or she was getting up herself, because she began to stir. Another thing Anthony noticed was the distinct color of the girls hair... red. Despite what he saw in mangas' and anime back in the U.S., odd color hair like that wasn't common in Japan. Their was only one person he KNEW had that color...

"A-Anthony?" She asked, the voice indeed belonging to none other than one of the 2 'Greats'; Rias Gremory herself! Why was she in his house, let alone; HIS FREAKING BED! AND NAKED! She began moving, rubbing the sleep out for her eyes before getting up. "Hey..." she said, yawning; rather cutely. As she stretched, her impressive breasts also jiggled. His eyes couldn't help but lock-on, but once he realized what he was doing, he covered his eyes. _'This isn't happening, this isn't happening, I did not just wake up next to Rias naked, I DID NOT wake up next to her naked'_ he thought to himself, denying what he was seeing.

"Good morning" she said, cheerfully. "Come on, don't be like that. Aren't you happy?" She asked, seeing that the boy she just slept with was covering his face. Anthony lowered his hands just a little, seeing that Rias was leaning on her arm and knee, with a smile on her face. "Um... about what? Did we...?" He asked. For the love of him, he couldn't remember crawling into bed with her or vice versa. "Hmhm, no. Don't worry, I'm still a virgin" Rias replied, then her eyes started drifting down Anthony's body. The Italian-American couldn't tell if she was checking him out or not. "... although..." she added, her eyes fixated on something.

Didn't take a genius to figure out what she locked onto, so Anthony grabbed a pillow that happened to be next to him. "HEY! S-STOP PEAKING!" He said, embarrassed. "Awww, and I was just enjoying the view..." Rias teased. Anthony's heart stopped for a second, she _liked_ what she saw? He shook those thoughts aside, but that was a sentence he'd soon never forget. "So uh, did you at least take me out to dinner first, or is saving my life how you get your kicks?" He joked, though it was mostly to calm himself.

Rias wasn't expecting that response, he remembered everything? That was odd, usually being reincarnated had some side effects. The day she met Anthony and sensed something about him, she had sent her servant Koneko to trail him. After a few days of doing it, she couldn't see nothing special about him, until she heard that Fallen Angel say something about a Sacred Gear. Even before she left, he was able to avoid her attacks (which was impressive enough for a human) AND still be conscious enough to call for help. The white-haired first year called Rias through some type of red circle, and that lead to Rias reviving Anthony through an Evil Piece... for some reason, it took all 8 of her Pawn Pieces before the reincarnation was successful. Not even her remaining Rook, Bishop or Knight Pieces alone would work.

Still... he should have had a memory lapse or something because of the trauma his body had endured. Shrugging it off, she gave an innocent chuckle. "Yes. You took quite a lethal blow, but you recovered in just a single night. I must say, your body is amazing... all parts of it" she said, slyly. Anthony blushed again, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

He then realized an important fact: "That doesn't explain why we're undressed."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"ANTHONY! ANTHONY, ARE YOU OK? You were just screaming."

SHIT! It was his neighbor, Pesca! She and him were very close friends, he even gave her a house key for his apartment... "AH! PESCA! P-P-PLEASE DON'T COME IN! I'm fine, I swear! Sto solo, avendo una brutta mattinata, non c'è niente di cui preoccuparsi..." He stuttered, trying to get his neighbor to go away. He got up and started darting his head back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. If she saw Rias... speaking of whom, she was just watching the Italian get worked up, almost like it was good entertainment. Was she enjoying this?!

Pesca, hearing the commotion from outside, unlocked the door and followed the sounds. She kept Anthony talking to found out where he was, as he had the biggest apartment in the whole building. He also sounded flustered while still calling down at her to not enter to premises, which she knew was one of his problems. When Anthony was caught by surprise or got angry, he'd start bawling out random stuff in Italian. Not only was it cute and funny, it was also useful to find out where he was. "Anthony, I'm coming in!" Persa said, having approached his bedroom door. She heard: _put this over you, NOW!_... What was going on in there?

She was NOT prepared... the poor thing.

What she saw, was Anthony over a red-haired girl, who had the largest breasts she'd ever seen for a teenager. Pesca was 21-years-old, and even she wasn't that size. That's saying nothing about Anthony's face, his jaw looked like it came loose and was hanging by a thread. "Good morning, ma'am. How are you today?" Rias responded without a shred of embarrassment. Pesca's words were caught in her throat, unable to answer right away. "I-I'm... fine. I... didn't know you were busy... I'll just... be going..." she simply said, closing the door slowly as she left.

Anthony fell back as soon as the door closed. "Dear God... make me a bird... so I can fly... far, far away..." he said, his voice muffled by the blanket on the floor. Again, Rias was surprised. He just said a word that would normally cause Devil's, especially newly created ones, to have a mind-spiting headache. Yet, he made no such moves that would tell her he was in pain... maybe he had a high tolerance for it? "It's quite a party here in the human world, isn't it?" She asked, sitting up in the bed with her legs hanging off. "Oh yeah... SO much fun..." Anthony muttered, his face still buried in the blanket. Sighing, he picked himself up. "Sorry about that, I panicked" he apologized. "Its fine, I'm not complaining... I kinda liked being dominated" she teased.

By now, Anthony assumed this was her personality type and just went with it... didn't mean it didn't strike a few emotions. "Sure ya did" he said dryly, looking up at Rias, but immediately looked back down upon seeing... lady parts. "Look, not that you aren't attractive, but your not... covered" Anthony said. "Would you like me to stand so you can have a better view?" Asked Rias. Anthony heard the mattress make noise, so it was obvious the Devil was standing up.

_'Yup... definitely ain't human' _Anthony thought, as no human girl would say something like that, even WITH her personality traits. "You don't like what you see?" She teased some more, faking an annoyed tone. "If I answer truthfully, my mama will rise from her grave and beat me with her shovel" said Anthony, being semi-cryptic and still not looking at her.

"Better?" Rias asked. Hearing the sound of fabric against skin, Anthony's curiosity got the best of him and he looked up at the red-head, seeing she finally put her panties on. Taking a deep breath, he finally relaxed. "Yes, very. I'm not the type of guy to sneak a peak until I get pior authorization... not everyday some random girl shows up in my bed in her Birthday Suit" Anthony said. "I suppose, but my magic only works with close contact" Rias explained. _'Suuuuuure it does'_ thought Anthony, as that sounded utterly ridiculous. Magic was magic, right?... So what did clothes have to do with it?!

"Besides, I need you..." Rias continued, making Anthony flinch. "Mind doing this for me?" She continued, her bare back facing Anthony. What she 'needed', was his assistance in refastening her bra. At first, he hesitated, but gave in since at this point, there wasn't much else to be embarrassed about... they both already seen each others nuda gloria.

As soon as Anthony finished, he hugged Rias from behind, something she didn't expect. "I don't know how you did it... but thank you, for saving my life... even though I probably didn't deserve it" Anthony thanked. What could Rias say? It was her turn to get as red as her hair. She honestly didn't anticipate this boy to be so... gentle and kind. "Y-Your welcome" was all she managed to get out. She didn't understand why, but something about his touch made her... feel at peace.

Yes... there was something special about him indeed...

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Bella:** means "beautiful"

2) **Stupefacente:** means "amazing"

3) **Che Cazzo:** means "what the fuck's"

4) **Che Diavolo è Quella Merda:** means "what the hell's that?"

5) **Santo Cielo:** means "holy shit"

6) **Sto solo, avendo una brutta mattinata, non c'è niente di cui preoccuparsi:** means "I'm just, having a bad morning, there's nothing to worry"

7) **Nuda** **Gloria: **means "naked glory"

Might as well teach ya something while you read. Hope this was entertaining. Since I'm Italian myself, this was a fun little project. You all interested on where this will go? Be sure to follow/fav so you'll be notified when another chapter comes out. See ya next time! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome back guys to another Chapter of **The Italian Dragon Emperor**. Before we start, quick shout-out to _Ssj Shadow_ for his review, pointing out how my OC should be a Devil and how this would allow him to bond with the rest of the ORC. However, Anthony's backstory plays a big part in how he'll bond with everyone else despite still being human. Not to give too much away, but refer back to the last paragraph of the last chapter... that should give you a hint.

As some of my readers already know, I put tiny bits that might seem insignificant at first, but they reveal deeper lore as the fic progresses. EVERYTHING I write down, I place for a reason... just a note to any new readers or readers that have only read this story of mine. Anyway, let's continue! Advance Warning, the middle of this chapter WILL make you hungry... Italian style!

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Occult Research Club**

"There's no way..."

"How the hell's Rias with HIM?!"

"He had to have paid her... no other explanation."

This was the morning gossip between students as Anthony walked with Rias to campus... what made it awkward was the fact she was holding his hand as she dragged him along; not that Anthony didn't like it, but it was embarrassing. "Mamma mia, e lei si sta divertendo" Anthony muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Frankly, he could understand the issue everyone else had. Rias was 2 of the most popular girls in the school, so even the faintest idea of a foreigner being in a relationship raised allot of red flags... a LOT.

That... and Rias clearly LOVED the attention and/or the effect it had on him.

As they entered the large school, Rias stopped and turned back to look at him. He lowered his hand from his face and looked up at her, coming to a full stop himself. "I'll send someone to fetch you after school, we'll met in the club room, sound good?" Rias asked. "Fetch? Do I look like a chew toy?... GAH! Hey, stop it!" Anthony said, as Rias pinched his cheek and moved it around. "You sure sound like one... see ya later, Anthony" was all Rias said as she winked at him and headed off to her own classroom. Anthony didn't need to turn around the see the jealous stares... he could feel them on his back. Not wanting any trouble, he hurried towards his own class.

As soon as he walked in...

POW!

"OW! Fanculo! What was that for?!" Anthony asked, holding his nose. He was punched right in the face by one of the 'Perverted Duo', Matsuda. He was nicknamed the 'bald-headed pervert' while the second, named Motohama, was the 'Calculator'... this reflects his unnatural (and unappealing) ability to automatically know a girls 3 measurements by just looking at them... fully clothed. "I heard you were walking with Rias... FREAKING RIAS THIS MORNING! How the hell'd you pull that off?" Matsuda demanded. "Matsuda... why don't we hear him out first?" Motohama compromised. "Uhh... how about, no?" Anthony said, dryly. "Don't be like that, asshole! You were rolling in double D's weren't you?!" Matsuda proclaimed, also capturing the attention of the rest of the class. "And maybe I was... they called me the 'Italian Stallion' back home..." Anthony taunted, making both perverts over-dramatize the sentence. It also made a few girls slightly interested in what the sentence could have meant...

-TIME BREAK-

The end of the day finally arrived, now all Anthony had to do was wait for whomever Rias sent to pick him up...

Which came in the form of shrieking fangirls over Kiba Yuuto, who was standing in the doorway. As he said hi to his fellow fans, he made his way over to Anthony's desk. "Your Anthony Messuri?" He asked. "One and only" said Anthony, standing up. "I'm Kiba Yuuto, I'm here on an errand from Rias Gremory. Mind following me?" Kiba said, kindly. Anthony did just that, and followed Kiba to the ORC building. Once they arrived, Kiba opened a pair of Oak doors to reveal a sparsely lit room. The furniture could be considered antique. In the middle was a low-standing coffee table with two sofas on opposite sides of it and, at the end of the room, was an elegantly designed desk. He looked around to see the only source of light came from the several candles located all around the room.

On one of the sofas was the first year mascot, Koneko Toujou, eating a piece of chocolate. She looked over at him, blinked once, and went back to eating. "Not much of a talker, eh?" Anthony asked aloud, though no one responded. That's when he heard the sound of running water. "Is it just me, or is there a shower here?" He asked. "Your clothes are on the side, Miss President" came a familiar voice. Anthony looked over and saw Akeno Himejima, the second 'Great Lady'. She wore a Kuoh Academy uniform like everyone else and like Rias, had a figure that drove the male population insane. "Oh, excuse me. Your Anthony Messuri, right? My name's Akeno Himejima, its nice to meet you" she said sweetly, bowing down to Anthony. He immediately noticed her breasts jiggled... allot. What can he say? He's still a guy.

"Sorry about the wait, I didn't get to wash _properly_ this morning" Rias said, coming out of the shower while drying her hair, putting emphasis on the word: properly. "What can I say, I'm a messy guy" Anthony joked, making Akeno giggle. "Hmhm, I like him already" she said. "Anyway, let's get started. As President of the Occult Research Club, it's my honor to welcome you as a new member" said Rias. Back at Anthony's apartment before they left, Rias had explained to him about the club and he was now a new member... whether he liked t or not. It's not like he minded, he promised he'd return the favor of saving his life, so this was just a step in that direction. "Honor's all... holy shit, is that a chessboard?" Anthony said, becoming excited and headed over the small table that had the board game, the same one Akeno and Rias used the day before.

"You play?" Asked Rias, surprised. She didn't know Anthony was familiar with the game. "You kidding? Played with my grandfather everyday till his death... haven't seen one since the fire..." he said, picking up the black King and recalling his past, but shrugged it off. "How's about a quick game; you and me, Prez?" Asked Anthony. This lead to the rest of the club look at him as if he was crazy. "Are you sure?" Asked Kiba. "Rias is the best player..." said Akeno. "She'll eat you alive" Koneko said, finally speaking. "Oh really?..." Said Anthony, the gears in his head turning. Putting the King down, he went around the table, and sat on the black side. "Alright... show me what'cha got" he said, confidently. Rias, not wanting to turn down a challenge at her own game, smirked at Anthony and walked over to the chessboard, sitting down on the white side. "Ok... but don't say we didn't warn you" she said. Anthony smiled right back. "I'll keep that in mind... your move."

-TIME BREAK-

"... Checkmate."

The ORC was stunned. Kiba looked in shock, Akeno had a hand over her lips, and Koneko's chocolate fell out of her open mouth. That's saying nothing about Rias' expression, this has never happened to her before... this boy actually beat her! She frantically looked all over the board for a way out, or at least some kind of counterattack; while Anthony jut leaned back in his chair with his arms behind his neck and legs crossed, a smile plastered on his face. "Good game, though 30 turns seems kinda short" he said. This was somewhat true, as none of the other ORC member's had EVER gotten this close to wining and ACTUALLY succeeded. Only Akeno had, but that game was 32 turns long... Rias was stronzate at the time of course, but still...

After looking over the board from all angles at least 10 times in the span of 15 seconds, Rias saw no other possible move she could make. Anthony had only left her with a single Pawn, both her Knights and Rooks, but took all her Bishops'. Even if she used her Queen to take out the Knight that threatened her King, she'd still be slammed by a Rook. Moving her King wasn't an option either, as Anthony's Queen was on the other end of the board, just waiting to strike. Even if she destroyed the Knight with her Pawn, that would still leave her wide open to Antony's Bishop.

She was beaten... at her own game...

Recovering, her face hardened with determination. "I went easy on you, rematch" she said. "Heh, what a coincidence, so was I. I could've ended the game sooner" Anthony stated. "No you couldn't" Rias said. Anthony smiled and THEN, did something even she couldn't do... he set up the board EXACTLY how it was a few turns ago! How he could remember something like that, the ORC didn't know. "3 turns ago, I could have easily used my Knight here to take your Queen, leaving you at a severe disadvantage..." he started, then started rearranging again, this time to 5 turns ago. "I also could have just slid my rook over with a Castling Maneuver, which would have allowed me to strike from behind... OR, my personal preferito..." he said, then moved the pieces one final time, this time about 7 turns ago... or was it 8 turns ago? Rias wasn't sure. "When you fell for my trap by taking my 1st Knight, I had the opportunity to promote my Pawn into another Queen, and smash your King off the map!" He finished, whipping Rias' King with his Pawn/Queen down.

Rias had to admit, this kid was impressive, but he hasn't seen her best tricks yet! "Rematch, now."

_New Game, 26 turns in..._

**Anthony:** _(sends Queen 3 spaces ahead of Rias' King)_ Checkmate.

**Rias:** _(surprised and slightly annoyed)_ ... best 2 out of 3.

_New Game, 24 turns in..._

**Anthony:** _(Rias manages to take Anthony's Queen with her Bishop. Anthony is impressed)_ Hmm, good move... _(looks over the board and slides his only remaining Rook 6 spaces away from Rias' King)_ checkmate.

**Rias:** _(a little more annoyed now, and lowly growls)_ ... 5 out of 7.

_New Game, 20 turns in... _

**Anthony:** _(moves his Pawn to promote to Bishop, its now able to strike Rias' King next turn)_ Check.

**Rias:** _(smiles, thinking Anthony screwed up)_ Humph, nice try. _(Takes the newly promoted Bishop away with her Queen)_

**Anthony:** _(simply moves his Knight into range of Rias' King)_ Scacco Matto.

**Rias:**_ (looks at Anthony in confusion, then looks at the board and realizes she's in checkmate again. Her ears start steaming)_ Best outta 10!

_10 New Games later..._

Koneko was ordered to keep score on a chalkboard. The current results: Anthony = 6, Rias = 3.

**Rias:** _(is in deep concentration. She goes for her Knight, but hesitates. Changing her mind, she moves a Pawn instead)_ Your turn!

**Anthony:** Alright, alright, non mettere le tue mutandine in un mucchio... _(is very calm as he thinks. He touches his Queen and holds it for a few seconds before letting go, he decides to use his Knight to take Rias' last Rook)_ Check aaaaaaaaand, mate.

Rias lost it. She grew a pair of bat-like wings, began getting red-hot with power, and used her magic to set up the board again. "Again. We play again... now" she hissed, stilling keeping her cool, but who knows how long that would last? Anthony just yawned, not in a mean way, but rather because... "Love too, buuuuuuuut..." he pointed out the window... it was getting dark. They maybe had another hour before nightfall. He started to get up, but that's when Rias' power flared out even more, scaring Anthony a little. If he had any doubts that she was a supernatural being, its all gone now. "Another game, now!" She ordered. Not wanting to piss the redhead off, Anthony got back in his seat. "I like your passion, Rias. But, it's just a game, and..." Anthony was saying.

"IT'S NOT JUST A GAME!" She screamed, even now some of the other ORC members got nervous. They've never seen Rias this angry before...

-TIME BREAK-

Hours passed, it was completely dark out and Anthony and Rias were still playing their 11th game of chess. The other members have already gone home, but Rias ordered Anthony to stay and finish. It's been over 50 turns, WAY over the stalemate limit, but Rias refused to quit, so they kept playing. "_*Yawn*_... ok, doll-face, your turn" Anthony yawned, holding his head with his hand. Several seconds passed by and Rias didn't move. "Rias... hey, Rias?" Getting a closer look, Anthony saw she had fallen asleep... the poor thing. He chuckled at the sight, and started standing up. Then he realized... he was alone... with Rias... AGAIN! The rumor mill was sure gonna be flying tomorrow, even more so if anyone saw them leave this clubhouse together!

Deciding to worry about it later, he tapped Rias a few times, but the girl was sound asleep. Anthony had to get home, but he couldn't leave Rias here either. "Aw, buon dolore" he sighed. There was only 2 things he could do; spend the night here in the cold clubhouse or take her back to his place. The former was out of the question and while the latter would probably backfire, it was the right thing to do. He got Rias in his arms and picked her up bridal style. As he did; she cooed in her sleep, snuggled closer into his chest... and smiled. Anthony blushed and chuckled again, she was acting pretty cute.

-TIME BREAK-

Rias awoke to the smell of something good... hold on, where was she? Last she remembered, she was in the club room playing chess and... crap. She got carried away, taking the game of chess as seriously as a Rating Game. They were basically the same thing, as members of her house would fight an opposing house in the same fashion. Getting up, she recognized Anthony's room, how did she get here? She was still in her academy uniform, so it looked like Anthony didn't change her... the hell? Where did that thought come from?! Shaking it off, she exited the bedroom, the smell getting stronger. Following her nose, she headed downstairs to see something she's never seen in her entire life.

Anthony was on an apron, cooking! That was strange to say the least, usually its the girl who cooks. And that smell... she could practically taste whatever he was making, and it smelled GOOD. "Hmm? Oh! Morning, bella addormentata; sleep well?" Anthony asked, looking up from his cooking. "I'm uh... fine. What are you doing?" She asked, still not fully taking in what she was seeing. "A Satanic Ritual, what's it look like I'm doing? We had a rough time yesterday, figured I'd bring you home instead of freezing to death in that God old building... no offense" said Anthony.

Rias was certainly taken aback by not only Anthony's kindness, but generosity. Not only that, he said _that word_ again, and still didn't show any sign of pain... was he a masochist like Akeno? "So... how you like your sausage?" Anthony asked her. She was tempted to make a joke about HIS sausage, but held back. He went through all the trouble of bring her sleeping form here and was now making her breakfast. Sure she had servants do it for her, as they were paid too, but a boy... it gave her an odd feeling...

A few minutes later, they both ate together. Anthony made what he called, a "Standard Italian Breakfast": Frittata Florentine's, A Bread Bowl (which was bread in the shape of a bowl with bacon, eggs and herbs in it), and baked sausage. It was different from what she normally ate, but it was fantastic! The mixture of flavors was perfect, it made her want more! "So everyone in the ORC is a Devil like you, and now I'm one as well?" Asked Anthony. While they ate, Rias took the time to talk to Anthony of what she wanted to say yesterday but couldn't due to... getting sidetracked. "That's right" she confirmed. "And that puttana Yuum- er, Raynare; was a Fallen Angel? Aren't Devils and Fallen the same?" Anthony asked, trying to understand as during his time at the church, he was always told Devils ARE Angels the turned away from God. "Common misconception. While it's true Fallen Angels have... well, fallen. They try to think of any possible way of getting back in His grace" explained Rias, wincing a little due to a sudden headache.

"Hey, you ok?" Anthony asked, leaning over and feeling the top of Rias' head. She stiffened at his touch, it felt exactly the same as when he hugged her. "I'm fine. We Devils' can't mention... _*points up*_ because we'll receive pain" Rias said. Anthony's face showed confusion. "If that's true, how come I don't feel anything?" He asked, making Rias stop eating, her fork just inches away from her mouth. "Nothing? You don't feel anything?" She asked, folding her arms, sort of not believing him. "No, why?" He asked. Rias and him looked each other, in silence for 5 seconds before she gave him a command. "Say his name" she ordered. "Ok... God?" Anthony obeyed, not getting what she was doing.

"Again."

"God?"

"Again."

"Jesus Christ?"

"Again."

"Amen? Seriously, what are you trying to prove?"

This made no sense. Even Akeno, who loved pain, felt like someone was driving a knife through her skull whenever they were in the presence of God, so why wasn't Anthony? It didn't add up. "Anthony, take out your wings" Rias said. "Da wha?" Asked Anthony. "Your wings. Out, now" She ordered, unfurling her own wings. Anthony didn't know how, but was willing to try. He focused, flexed his back muscles, but nothing happened. Rias didn't want to, but as a Devil Master, she could force her servants to do whatever she pleased. "WHOA! WHAT ARE YA DOING?!" Asked Anthony, afraid he did something wrong, holding up his arms in defense. Rias spoke no words, summoning a magic circle, and aimed at Anthony to control him.

There was a flash of red light that surrounded Anthony...

...

...

...

Nothing. No wings at all... but something about him changed. On his left arm, was a red device. "Is that a... Sacred Gear?" Rias asked, not believing what she's seeing. Was this why Raynare went after him? "A what?" The Italian asked, then his eyes widened as he remembered Raynare's words before she flew off: _You were just too dangerous to live. Couldn't have your Sacred Gear awaken._

-TIME BREAK-

"So, he's still human?" Asked Kiba. After leaving Anthony's home, Rias dragged Anthony to the club (much to the chagrin of Kuoh students) and called an emergency meeting. "How's that possible?" Asked Akeno. "I don't know, I don't know! This has never happened before!" Said Rias, clutching her head, trying to figure out what went wrong. It didn't make sense, once an Evil Piece is put inside a human, they become a Devil, end of story. But for some reason, Anthony had his Evil Piece, yet was still human. Not only that, he had a Sacred Gear, which explained why the Fallen Angels would seemingly target a random human. "Why not call the manufacturer? Maybe he or she'll know what's wrong?" Anthony suggested. "I suppose... in any case, with your Sacred Gear now active, those Fallen Angels will want you dead more than ever" sighed Rias, worriedly. "No worries, I think I can handle them now that I know what to expect, Yuuma or whatever her name is just caught me off guard" Anthony assured.

"Don't overestimate yourself, you have no combat experience and..." Rias began. "No experience? I wiped the floor with 5 guys at once!" Anthony argued. "Yes, with HUMANS. Not Fallen Angels. Taking them on alone will be seen as a disrespectful action of the Gremory house" said Rias. "I'm not an idiot, Rias. I'm not the type to charge in without thinking, pretty sure you know that after our game" said Anthony, bringing up their 'chess tournament'. "I know... I just, don't want you to get hurt" said Rias, sighing. "Believe me, Rias... I KNOW what it's like to be hurt..." Anthony said. The tone of his voice was captured by Rias, did she hit a nerve? "I'm heading to class, am I dismissed?" He asked, being respectful. Rias nodded and Anthony left. "I didn't scare him, did I?" Rias asked Akeno, who was next to her. "I don't think you could if you tried. He DID survive an encounter with a Fallen Angel longer than most humans. Usually, they cower in fear" said Akeno.

As Akeno said that, Rias immediately thought back to a few things Anthony had said. That he hasn't played chess after a fire, and that he knew what it was like being hurt... what happened to him? "Koneko, mind contacting Ajuka Beelzebub for me?" Rias asked the young girl, who was eating a biscuit. "Sure, whatev's" she responded before taking anther bite.

-TIME BREAK-

After classes, Anthony decided to head home early. He was kinda tried, all that stuff from earlier wore him out. As he was walking, he yawned and closed his eyes for a split second, and that's all it took to feel himself crash into something. "OOF! Owww... I'm such a klutz. OH! I'm so sorry, sir!" Came a female voice. "Ugh, it's ok. I've been told I got a hard head... here, need help?" Joked Anthony, getting up and holding out his hand to help whoever fell. As she grabbed his hand, Anthony pulled her up. "Oh, thank you. Your so..." she was saying, but this is when their eyes met. Anthony crashed into a nun, but it wasn't any nun. This nun had VERY familiar blond hair, and innocent eyes that Anthony could never forget.

After staring at each other in silence for God knows how long...

"... A... Anthony?..."

"... Asia?..."

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **E Lei Si Sta Divertendo:** means "and she's enjoying this"

2) **Stronzate:** means "bullshitting"

3) **Preferito:** means "favorite"

4) **Scacco Matto:** means "checkmate"

5) **Non Mettere Le Tue Mutandine In Un Mucchio:** means "don't get your panties in a bunch"

6) **Buon Dolore:** means "good grief"

7) **Bella Addormentata:** means "Sleeping Beauty"

8) **Puttana:** means "whore"


	4. Chapter 4

Now we're getting into the... "D in DXD", if you know what I mean. So from this chapter forward, the rating of this fanfic has now been changed to 'M'. Still, here's another chapter, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Nun of that Nonsense - Part 1**

The nun and Anthony just continued stare, time seemed to stop and the worlds sound went mute. The nun, revealed to be named Asia, slowly reached her hand out and touched Anthony's cheek. _'... Am I dreaming?... Is this real?...'_ She asked herself, not trusting her eyes. _'No way... I must've hit my cranio harder than I thought. She can't be here, she's halfway across the globe!'_ Anthony thought, also not trusting himself. This was too big of a stretch. Could this girl, really be his old friend... Asia Argento?

The girl suddenly threw herself into him, hugging him tightly... and crying. Damn, if this was Asia, she really grew... _'What the fuck, Anthony? This is a nun, you can't think of them that way!'_ Anthony shouted to himself, getting his mind out of the gutter. He didn't return the hug, as he was still trying to process all this. How did Asia end up here of all places? The girl looked up into Anthony's eyes, they were watered with tears of joy, but Anthony didn't want to give his hopes up. He's done that before, foolishly thinking his parents survived the fire, and had to wake up.

Seeing the conflict in his eyes, the girl reached into her suitcase... the item she pulled out was undeniable proof...

-FLASHBACK-

_"Anthony? Maybe you should take a break, you've been on that for..." said a young Asia, watching her friend in deep focus while playing a crane game. She wanted one of the cute stuffed animals inside and Anthony said he'd win one for her, but that was 5 minutes ago! Anymore, he'd burn through the rest of his parents Life Insurance money..._

_"NO! I can do this. I WILL do this... I _have _too..." said a young Anthony, putting more money into the machine and trying again. And again. And again... Asia would be lying if she said she wasn't touched, Anthony would always do so much for her; probably because he knew what it was like to be without parents as well as she did... she was found on the church door one day, and was raised as a child of God ever since. A few years later when she got older; she met Anthony after he ran from somewhere, crying and telling her mistress what happened._

_He was raised in the orphanage, but she always felt their was something that... drew her to him. She didn't know what it was, but her hands would tense up whenever she got close to him. One day when Anthony twisted his ankle, she wished she could help somehow... and she did, as a strange green light emitted from her hands... and the muscles in Anthony's leg was all better. It was then she and he discovered she had a supernatural power to heal others, though they could never figure out why his hand would tense up whenever she used this power..._

_Sadly, the other members of the church deemed Anthony was making Asia become 'impure' and sent him away. She thought she'd never see him again, and she would hug the stuffed toy he won for her that day every chance she got..._

-END FLASHBACK-

This was the exact same toy she pulled out. It was a little weathered and worn, but the same stuffed animal nonetheless. There was now no doubt in Anthony's mind... after all these years... they've found each other again. He hugged her back, tighter than he intended but he was so happy. She couldn't help but blush slightly; she was pulled so close that she could feel his heartbeat against her own, her breasts also squeezing into him... she cut off that train of thought. She was a full-fledged nun now, she shouldn't be having those thoughts.

-TIME BREAK-

"You've been assigned to the church in this area? Heh, wow! Quali sono le probabilità?" Anthony said, as he walked Asia over the path towards the local church. He still couldn't believe after 8 years, he found her again... best part, she REMEMBERED him! "Yeah... God must have been guiding us to each other, I'm so glad I finally know someone in this town" said Asia. "Heh, yeah. Talk about luck of the Devil" Anthony said without thinking, making Asia look at him in surprise. He then realized his idiotic mistake... and hidden pun. "Uh... ya know, figure of speech, heheheh..." he nervously covered up. "Is everything ok?" Asia asked, the look of her innocent eyes tugged on Anthony's heartstrings. _'Should I tell her the truth? I don't wanna lie to her, but I don't wanna freak her out either... what are you saying, Anthony? This is Asia! She'd forgive a bank robber!... Then again, they don't make pacts with Devils, do they?'_ Anthony thought.

They heard crying a few feet away, and a small boy had a bloody knee... poor kid must've tripped, and Anthony couldn't help but feel extreme déjà vu.

"Hey, Asia? You still have... that gift?" Anthony asked her, as they approached the little boy. She nodded and with a soft glow, Asia's hands light with warmth and healed the boy's injury. While that happened, Anthony felt a small pang in his left hand... just like when they were kids, this would happen. _'My Sacred Gear's acting up I guess... oh shit. Has Asia... had a Sacred Gear... this whole time?'_ Anthony deduced. If this was true, it would explain as to why he felt this small pang in that exact spot when Asia used her 'gift'... being revived by a devil was good for something apparently. Afterward, she invited Anthony to the church for some tea... boy, they had ALLOT to talk about...

-TIME BREAK-

BANG!

"YOU WENT INTO A CHURCH?!" Rias partially screamed, her hands slamming into her desk. Anthony wasn't seen after school for quite some time, and Rias became worried. Calling him on his cell phone, Rias tried getting ahold of him... 10 times! Anthony thought it was sweet of her and felt guilty he didn't answer, but in his defense, he was getting reacquainted with an old friend he thought he'd never lay eyes on again. Rias calmed down upon hearing he tell her he'd met her in the clubhouse and explain where he was for the last couple of hours... she wasn't happy.

"What's the big deal? I was catching up with a childhood friend" Anthony said. "That's not the point! You went to a church, A FREAKING CHURCH ANTHONY! Don't you know how dangerous that is?" Said Rias. "Um... no? I was raised in one after... after..." Anthony began to explain, but trailed off once he began to relive the memory of his parents death. Rias noticed his expression, this was the 3rd time he'd make a face like that. She didn't know what happened and while she wanted to help him, she knew it wasn't any of her business to pry into his personal life... except when he goes into a CHURCH! "After what?" She asked, trying to control her emotions. "After... it's nothing" Anthony said, shutting down.

Rias tried to relax. She sat back down in her desk, taking a deep breath. "Regardless... going into a church is dangerous. There are exorcists in there that will purge Devils. It's basically enemy territory, Anthony... I don't want you to get hurt" she said. "I appreciate the concern Rias... but I'm not a devil, you said it yourself" Anthony said.

He was right. After Rias contacted the creator of the Evil Pieces and telling him what happened, even he was unsure. His theory was perhaps there was something about him that messed with the properties of the Evil Piece used on him, but then Rias revealed she had to use ALL of her Pawns to revive him, giving the creator even more confusion. While it wasn't uncommon for a Devil to have more than one piece, he found it strange that even after all 8 Pawn pieces; that the Italian was still human. He ordered Rias to contact her again after Anthony had his first Rating Game, that should give him more information to go on.

"Alright. So... what exactly happened?" Asked Rias, getting back to the main reason they had this private meeting. Anthony told her everything; that Asia was a girl he knew growing up (he poked fun at the redhead by joking: _don't get gelosa_, which she denied but did feel... something in her chest), they were raised in a church, she also had a Sacred Gear, she was a nun... "Excuse me?" Rias interrupted him. He did NOT, just say THAT, did he? "She has a Sacred Gear, I couldn't believe it either after all those y-..." Anthony backtracked, thinking that's what Rias was interested it. "No, no. After that" said Rias, surprising Anthony. While she was interested that another human welded a Sacred Gear, that wasn't what concerned her. "Um... she's a nun, and..." Anthony said, but Rias stood up at her desk, cutting Anthony off.

"Anthony. Your not to go anywhere near that girl again. Ever. Understand?" Rias ordered. Anthony was about to roast her for being geloso, but her expression told him she was being serious. "Uh, no; what's your problem?" Anthony asked, holding in his ire. He normally didn't loose his temper, being bullied taught him to keep his emotions in check... but when someone he cared about was threatened or talked about in a negative way... oh-HOOOOOO! Hell on Earth, Italian-Style!

"Nuns' have been known to help exorcists, and are just as dangerous. You need to..." Rias began, but she would now realize that was a big mistake. His right fist clenching tight, Anthony spoke out. "Dangerous? Heh... chi cazzo credi di essere? Asia would **never** hurt a dannazione volare, let alone purge a Devil" he said, calmly. He didn't loose it yet, but Rias would be wise to not push his buttons any further. "How do you know that? She's not the same girl you knew when you were kids, she's a..." Rias tried to explain, but felt a surge of power coming from Anthony, his Sacred Gear was now out. "CAZZATE! She's the purest, most warm-hearted person you will **EVER** lay eyes on! The thought of harming anyone wouldn't cross her mind! You know what she told me after the church sent me away?... They ostracized her! Cast her out! And for what?! HEALING AN INJURED DIAVOLO, ONE OF YOU! SO DON'T YOU **_EVER_**, CLAIM TO KNOW HER, QUANDO SEI SICURO DI NON FARLO!" Anthony yelled.

Rias gaped at the piece of information regarding Asia. She had no idea a nun of all people would have the heart to heal a Devil, plus it was ironic that a place that taught others about forgiveness... were quick to shun the poor girl out. After saying his peace, Anthony began to calm down. "Rias... I'm grateful you saved my life, and I promise to return the favor. But if you think for a second that I'll let you shit on my friends or tell me who I can and can't see... you've got another thing coming" he said. "I might be your servant..." Anthony added in after a moment of silence, then pointed at her with his Sacred Geared index finger. "But I am _**not**_, your slave..."

With that, he walked out, leaving Rias stunned. No one in her peerage had the balls to talk back to her in that way before. The only one who would was Akeno, but it was mostly minor and trivial stuff. She also felt a warmth in heart upon hearing the passion in Anthony's voice while defending this Asia girls honor... he truly cared about people. But how could one human have that big of a heart, especially one that was brought up under the church that had taught Devils were nothing but trouble? Now that Rias thought about it, he didn't once shun her when he learned she was a Devil but rather... hugged her. She felt goosebumps form on her skin at the memory, and that's not even counting when she lost her cool over chess and he took her home, AND made her the best breakfast of her life!

What exactly happened in his life that gave him so much compassion? Did it have something to do with the fire he's muttered a few times? How did Anthony even survive after being sent away from the church that was supposed to care for him? There was still so little Rias knew about the newest member of her family... perhaps she overreacted a bit? So many questions flooded her mind; many a nice, hot shower would help...

-TIME BREAK-

After some time had passed, Anthony headed back into the office. He wanted to apologize to Rias for his outburst, but she needed to understand that he wasn't some fantoccio, he was his own person. When he got inside however, he heard the shower going, so Rias must be inside. Taking a seat on a sofa, he waited for Rias to come out. "She's just worried about you" came a sweet voice, that slightly startled Anthony as he wasn't expecting it. "I know, Akeno... wait, how long were you there for that?" Anthony asked. "Long enough to see you take a stand. You should consider yourself lucky, she must like you to not throw a tantrum" Akeno said. They both heard Rias step out of the shower room, all dressed in fresh clothes.

"Your still here?" She asked, her question directed to Anthony. "Yeah I... I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry I acted like that, I just..." Anthony tried to pardon but much to his surprise, Rias came over and hugged him, his face on her shoulder. He could smell the shampoo in her hair. This didn't go unnoticed by Akeno, its the first time her master/best friend acted this way... especially around a guy. Not even Kiba got this treatment when he was reincarnated. "No... I'm sorry. I got a little carried away, and I had no right to judge. Can you forgive me?" Rias said, asking her newest servant for forgiveness. "Sure... if I can have my face back" Anthony responded, his voice slightly muffled by Rias' hair. Realizing what she was doing, Rias let him go. Before she could apologize for that, Anthony put a finger to her lips, which her eyes stared at. It was cute and funny.

"Why not, we start over? Hi, name's Anthony" he said, holding out his right hand for a handshake, smiling. Rias didn't expect that, but smiled herself and returned to shake. "Hey. Rias Gremory" she said, kindly. She also didn't know why, but the fact that he forgive her felt like a weight was lifted from her heart. Sure she's had a few fights with members of her peerage before, but this... it felt different, somehow. "As cute as it is to see you two get along, we've got a problem" teased Akeno, but her face held a serious look. "There have been reports of a Stray Devil that's been spotted nearby" she continued. Rias' eyes narrowed, it was time for action!

-TIME BREAK-

"A Stray Devil? So it's lost or something?" Asked Anthony. "Not exactly. Stray Devil's are servants that have fled their masters... most have been known to kill them" said Kiba, informing Anthony of the term. "Damn dude, that's cold" said Anthony. Appearing to the location via magic circle, the ORC approached a house that was rundown and old, most likely abandoned. "Reports say that the Stray's been tricking people into that house, and she's been having them for dinner. Mostly men" said Akeno. "Oh? That's not too bad. She Italian? We love feeding people" Anthony said. "Literally. _Having_. Them for dinner" Akeno rephrased. "Uck. Guess she likes tender meatballs" Anthony cringed. "And your next on the menu" said Koneko. "I'm sorry, did I ever ti fa incazzare or something?" Anthony asked Koneko. "Don't worry about her, she's always like that" Akeno giggled. "Listen up, we find the beast and kill it, lets make this quick and clean" said Rias.

Walking a few feet into the house, "She's here" said Koneko.

"Uuuuuugh... what is that foul stench?" Came a voice from seemingly everywhere. It freaked Anthony out a little, but he stood his ground. "Wait... but there's something else... something... human" hissed the voice, obviously referring to Anthony. Out of the corner of the room, a lady emerged from the darkness... naked. "GAH! Geez, ever hear of modesty?" Anthony yelped, looking away and covering his eyes out of respect of a woman's... assets. "Viser. You have betrayed your master and fled to fulfill your lustful desires. Return to your master immediately or met your death!" Rias announced. "Yeah, I don't think a woman who walks out in her compleanno suit really gives a shit" remarked Anthony, now recovered from his shock. "Give it a rest, Rias Gremory. Your just jealous that your breasts aren't as luscious as mine!" The Stray said, proceeding to play with her breasts. "IIIIIIIIIs... this a Stray Devil, or a Stray Pornstar?" Anthony sweatdropped, putting an index finger on the right side of his forehead.

Upon hearing his voice; the Stray, known as Viser, eyed Anthony. "Oh my, a foreigner..." she said, then took a long sniff. "Its yooooooooou, your the human I smell... I wonder if you'll taste sweet... or spicy?" She oozed out. "Well... if your gonna try my sausage and meatballs, at least cook me first" the Italian joked. Akeno had to cover her mouth to stop a giggle that threatened to escape, though she did release a cute snort. Viser kept playing with herself all the while, her nipples began to harden. "Heh! Seriously, is this what Stray Devils do all day?" Anthony asked, taking the entire situation as a joke. That's when Anthony heard the sound of magic circles. Looking behind him, they appeared on her boobs... her nips to be accurate. "Wait... are you... no. Per favore, no..." he said, not liking where this was going.

With manic laughter, Viser shot acid out of her milk buttons! Anthony dodged instinctively, the wall behind him dissolved supernaturally quickly. "Ewww... this's why I was raised on formula!" He added. At this point, Viser was shown to be much larger than she appeared. The top half of her was human... but the bottom was another story! Below her was another body that looked like a Centaur or Minotaur, and she had a snake tail! The rest of the ORC sprung into action! Kiba vanished into thin air, but he was actually moving real fast; he was a Knight, and he skillfully sliced off Viser's beastly arms with the sword he brought. She got really mad at that, her ears became elf-like and grew sharp teeth in her mouth... and her lower body opened up INTO a mouth! She lunged toward Anthony to try and devour him! In response, he summoned his Sacred Gear and punched her in the face... it looked (and sounded) like it hurt, but she got back up immediately as if nothing happened; snarling in Anthony's face.

"Uh... you shouldn't eat meat raw... Trichinellosis and all..." Anthony said nervously, but that did nothing as Viser's mouth opened wide! Koneko merely walked in the way and was eaten instead! "FUCK! KONEKO!" He shouted, getting up to try and save her. "It's alright, she's fine" assured Rias. Anthony was about to argue, but Koneko appeared seconds later by forcefully opening Viser's mouth from the inside. "She's my Rook. While Kiba has the speed, Koneko has the strength" Rias explained. "See ya on the flip side" Koneko stated, as she punched Viser across the room with a single hit... Anthony made a mental note to never piss her off. "Ooh, is it my turn? How exciting!" Akeno said, cheerfully. Her hands started electrifying. "Your not the only one who likes it rough" she added, unleashing a large thunderbolt upon the Stray as it roared in agony.

"So; Knight, Rook... guessing she's a Bishop, or a Queen?" Asked Anthony, as he already knew about Rias' status as King from their conversation at his house during that breakfast before his Sacred Gear awakened. "Right, Queen. Akeno has all the attributes of the other pieces" Rias said. "Does that feel good? You like that?" Akeno asked the Stray, not that it was able to answer her. "Does she... get off on this?" Anthony sweatdropped, detecting the lustful tone in Akeno's voice. "Akeno... that's enough" Ordered Rias. "Awww... its over already?" Akeno obeyed, blushing. Anthony's jaw dropped, he could FEEL the arousal radiating off this crazy chick! "Checkmate" said Rias, walking over to the downed demon. As she did, one of Viser's severed arms threw themselves at Rias! "RIAS! LOOK OUT!" Anthony shouted, seeing the sneak attack. He went to punch it, but he instead felt a burning-like sensation in his palm that forced him to open it; and a red beam escaped, disintegrating the limb.

The ORC didn't expect that, Anthony was stocked full of surprises. "Thanks for that, Anthony" she thanked as Anthony helped her up. "Like I said, I'll return the favor" he said. "Now, where was I?" Asked Rias, strolling to Viser. Standing over her, Rias summoned a big magic circle and launched a beam of pure energy... there was nothing left of the Stray Devil.

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Cranio:** means "cranium"

2) **Quali Sono Le Probabilità:** means "what are the odds"

3) **Gelosa/Geloso:** means "jealous"

4) **Chi Cazzo Credi Di Essere:** means "who the fuck do you think you are"

5) **Dannazione Volare:** means "damn fly"

6) **Cazzate:** means "bullshit"

7) **Diavolo:** means "devil"

8) **Quando Sei Sicuro Di Non Farlo:** means "when you sure as hell don't"

9) **Fantoccio: **means "puppet"

10) **Ti Fa Inazzare:** means "piss you off"

11) **Compleanno:** means "birthday"

12) **Per Favore:** means "please"


	5. Chapter 5

1) **Omnisaurus**: THANK YOU! Someone with some common sense!

2) **Gerden360**: I was thinking of doing that but while that was in drafts, the entire paragraph would be a LITERAL wall of text. Since my OC also speaking in complete sentences, that's why I decided to put them at the bottom of the chapter. Thank for this suggestion and I greatly appreciate the thought you gave. Can we get a big round of applause for Gerden over here? _*Clap, clap, clap, clap!*_

3) **Ace**: They do?... well, shit. I must've missed/forgot that. I'll revise the chapter accordingly. I also don't have a favorite genre of music; and I also have not played Devil May Cry, but plan too at some point. The game looks good, I just can't give an honest opinion without actually _playing_ it first.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Nun of that Nonsense - Part 2**

The day after the Viser battle, Anthony was sitting in the ORC on a sofa reading an Italian recipe book. He did all his pacts/contracts already... though it would've been nice if Rias warned him that Magic Circle teleportation would made him wanna barf out his lunch on the first try! Damn shame too, he worked all last night making that meat sauce perfect for his fettuccine! _'You'll get used to it, she says... cagna dai capelli di pomodoro'_ Anthony thought to himself, still a little pissed about it, also mocking Rias' words. He'll get over it eventually, but he's still an Italian for Christs sake! He LOVED his food! Speaking of Rias, she was at her desk doing what he could guess was paperwork. Aside from them two, the only other person in the room was Koneko... it's like the kid never left the room, almost like how a cat would go to the same couch for a catnap or claw the side of it...

Actually, she was always sitting on that exact same sofa...

Koneko gave out a yawn, the 3rd one in under two minutes. "You ok, Koneko?" Asked Anthony, putting his reading material down. Koneko didn't respond to him, not that he expected her too. Getting a better look at her, he noticed the poor girl had bags under her eyes. She tried eating her egg roll, but the piece she had on the stick fell. By the time she realized it, it was already at the mercy of gravity and out of her reach. Leaning over the coffee table, Anthony reached quickly over to try and catch it, only to fall over and bang his head on the floor with his legs in the air. "Nice try, slick" Koneko remarked, closing her eyes and crossing her arms, scoffing at Anthony's attempt to be 'manly'. In doing so, she felt an unwanted sensation on her mouth... along with flavor... huh?

Opening her eyes in shock, Anthony's finger had pressed the small piece of the roll into her tiny mouth. He was grinning as well. Rias couldn't help but giggle at the younger students reaction, guess the yokes on her.

"Italians' NEVER miss food" he joked, sitting back in the opposite couch. Koneko just stared, but went back to eating, not even thanking him. "Come on, kiddie; what's wrong? Tell Uncle Antonio" Anthony continued, making Koneko gasp. "Y-You know?" Asked Rias, looking up from her stuff. "Know what?" Asked Anthony, confused. Upon his confession, Koneko calmed down... what was that all about? "It's nothing" Rias answered, getting back to her work. Anthony just continued to look at Koneko. He had to admit, she was a cute girl, its no wonder the school considered her the mascot. "Keep staring, I'll break your face" she warned. "So you can stare, but I can't? Seriously Koneko, what's the matter? You look like the Grumpy Cat without sleep" said Anthony, trying to get Koneko to talk to him.

He hated when people were upset, it made his heart bleed.

Once again, Koneko looked like Anthony had said something scary to her. "What?" Asked Anthony, still confused at her reaction. What was up with her today? "If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" She said after a moment of recovery, turning her head away. "Sì, signora. I just want to help, you look exhausted" Anthony said, getting up and sitting next to her. She was gonna snap at him to stay away from her but... his presence felt warming somehow, she couldn't respond. "Koneko; if your sick, you shouldn't be here! You need rest!" Said Anthony, putting his hand on her forehead. Rias of course was about to warn him; but to her surprise, Koneko didn't do anything. She just sat there, unmoving. It reminded Rias whenever Anthony touched her... was the same thing happening to Koneko?

"Well, you don't have a fever, so what's wrong?" Anthony asked for 4th time in a row. Koneko was still recovering from his touch. She didn't know how to describe it but it felt... calm, pure, soothing... she felt her face heat up and willed herself to stop, what the hell's the matter with her? Maybe the stress from overworked requests... yeah, that was most likely it...

"I've gotten allot of requests today... and there's no way I'll be able to do them all. Unless I was a Knight like Kiba, it'd take me days before I'm finally finished" she confessed, which surprised Rias even more. Normally, Koneko would only go to Rias.. she'd RARELY spoke to Kiba or Akeno for anything. "That's all, I could take a few then" Anthony offered, and Koneko felt her face pink up again. He was offering to assist her? "... no, I don't need your he-" she began, but that's when Anthony rubbed the top of her head... it was actually a sensitive spot where her _ears_ were hidden, she couldn't help but feel good. "Peccato!" Anthony claimed, getting up and walking up to Rias, who pretended to be absorbed in her work. "Rias, mind giving me half of Koneko's requests?" Anthony asked.

That definitely got a reaction from Koneko, her eyed widened in surprise. She couldn't believe her ears, this boy was serious! "You... don't have to do that" she called out. "Um, YES! I do. You look more tried than a mother cat after giving birth to 3 litters at once" said Anthony, turning back to Rias for Koneko's extra work. Because of this, he didn't notice her facial expression upon saying 'mother cat'. Still, Koneko couldn't deny that she felt flattered at Anthony's kindness, despite him still being human and still learning the ways of devils.

-TIME BREAK-

The rest of that day, Anthony handled half of Koneko's requests pretty while... a few of them were cosplaying for lonely old men though, not that it was a big deal as Anthony had taken acting classes at 14 and was a natural... some of the cosplay was best suited for women, but still.

Poor little Koneko had at least 94 summons and as Anthony promised, he'd take half. He'd do all of them if he had to, but Koneko insisted she was a tough girl (which Anthony had witnessed firsthand) and could handle it... she still never said grazie for his help though. Regardless, there was only one more pact to make, then Anthony could go home. Knocking on the final houses door, it creaked open at his touch. "Uh, hello? Anyone home?... Its not sicuro to keep doors unlocked nowadays, especially at night!" He called into the dark house, but no one answered.

On one hand, he could just go but on the other, he still needed to get this done for Koneko and Rias... he promised, and he'll move Hell itself to get it done if he had too! Against his better judgment, mostly from watching Friday the 13th movies at a young age (he maaaaaay have swiped his dads credit card and miiiiiight have rented them from a local Blockbuster, but at least he never had to return them for... reasons. Asia'll kill him if she ever found out); he walked inside the home. "Hello?... Don't shoot, I'm a servant sent by the Gremory family..." he said, holding his hands up just in case, ya never know with people these days...

Heading further into the house, Anthony noticed a light coming from another room down a hallway. As he took another step forward, his left hand tensed up.

**_[Careful...]_**

"Fine, I wi-" Anthony stopped himself, who was he talking to... and for that matter, where did that voice come from?! He's never heard such a deep tone before, it also had an honorable vibe to it which demanded respect. The voice was male obviously, but was it from the owner of the house? The voice seemed to echo in his head before fading away... deciding not to worry about it, Anthony pressed on.

Entering the room, Anthony was greeted by the smell of candles. Stepping inside, he stepped on something slippery... maybe the owner just waxed the floor? Then again, he actually forgot to take his shoes off before entering, it was a thing in Japanese culture... America just copied it to shit. "Sorry, my apologies. Forgot to take my..." he was saying but as he started taking off said article of clothing, he felt the substance on his shoe... it was warm. Bringing his hand up, he saw the odd coloring of the wax. "... b-blood?" He asked out loud. Looking down, his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, he saw a pool of liquid that originated from the other side of the room. He immediately held in a gag reflex. "Holy... shrimp... scampi" he said, trying to process what he saw.

"_I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for_ _their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance_ _of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the_ _ruthless_... Isaiah 13:11. What words to live by" said a voice in the room. Looking to the left, Anthony saw a man sitting on a sofa. "Uh... c-can I help you?" Asked Anthony, starting to back away. This guy gave him the creeps. Standing up, the man turned around to show himself. He had short white hair and red eyes, and was dressed in priests robes, also sporting a cross around his neck. The priest took a bow, but there was nothing noble about it. "Freed Sellzen, at your service, and you must be the pussy-ass little devil this priest's going to exercise" he said, a little too happily.

"A-A-Actually you got it all wrong. See? I-I-I'm just running an errand for a friend and..." Anthony tried to explain, but Freed cut him off. "Oh please, like I haven't heard THAT one before. Putting down devils like you is my job, and no ones better than me" he said, pulling to items from his robes. He raised a scabbard-looking object that grew into a sword of light, and had some type of gun in his other hand. "FIRST... I'm gonna cut out your heart with my heavenly blade of light. Once that's done, I'll blow a hole through your demonic face... sound fun? GOOD!" Said Freed, leaped at Anthony with inhuman speed.

CLANK!

Anthony's arm turned into a gauntlet and blocked the attack just before it made contact. _'The fuck? I didn't even summon it!'_ He thought to himself, seeing that his Sacred Gear come out on its own. While it wasn't the first time this happened, the question was mostly from shock of the situation. **[Didn't I tell you to be careful?]** Said the Gear... WTF?!

"Your... talking... to me?" Anthony manged to get out, still trying to wrap his head around everything. It was like the world pressed the fast-forward button: first he learns he has a magical metal gauntlet in his body, then Devils aren't necessarily evil, followed by a follower of the Lord was trying to kill him, and NOW his Sacred Gear was speaking it him?! It all happened so fast! "Heh. Not bad, devil. Not many can withstand the power of the holy spirit, but try THIS!" Said Freed, shooting his gun into Anthony's leg. He rolled on the floor, clutching his shot limb. "These bullets have been blessed by Our Savior, Jesus Christ. Hope they taste good, scumbag!" Said Freed, with a smirk that could rival The Joker's. _'Ugh... Devil or not, these hurt like a madre stronza'_ Anthony thought to himself.

**[BOOST!]**

Boost? The fuck did that mean? Anthony didn't care right now, he was more concerned how he was gonna get out of here alive. Getting an idea, Anthony tried doing the same thing at the abandoned house with Viser and sure enough, he shot an energy beam at the man. There was no way he'd...

BONK!

Freed knocked it away into the roof with his holy sword, making the ceiling crumble a little. It reminded Anthony of _The Legend of Zelda's_ Ping Pong match of Death. "That's it? Get a guy worked up and leave him half-cocked? That's not a nice way to treat a gentleman like ME!" Said Freed, raising his sword to strike...

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

Was the sound of a girl screeching in fear. Looking behind him, a nun had walked into the room where Anthony and Freed 'exercised'. "Asia? What are you doing, did you finish the barrier yet?" Asked Freed, annoyed that his 'session' was interrupted. Anthony's eyes widened at the mention of Asia's name and turned to see her, mouth agape at the corpse Freed left behind. "OH RIGHT! You just got assigned here. Well, listen up my dear. This is what the job IS... a little messy, I'll admit; but this how we dispose of people who have been bewitched by the evil Devils, like this young man right here. It's not all yelling bible verses and throwing water in they're faces, ya know" Freed explained.

Asia just kept staring at the dead body before turning her gaze to the person Freed was exercising. "A... Anthony?" She gasped, not believing her eyes. Anthony? A Devil? No way, that can't be true! "Hmm? You both... know each other?" Asked Freed, even he was surprised. "Asia... I can explain..." Anthony tried to justify. "Well, if that's the case; you have no business being together anyway. The Fallen Angels had strictly forbidden all forms of contact with Devils, or have you forgot that already?" Said Freed. Fallen Angels? What did they have to do with any of this? Anthony's mind immediately flashed back to Raynare.

"Not that you can, but I hope you've said your prayers!" Said Freed, raising his sword once again, but Asia ran in-between both men, holding her arms out like a human shield. "You've got to be kidding me. Asia, get out of the way!" The priest ordered. "Please Father... please spare this man... forgive him of his sins... I beg you, have mercy on his soul" Asia preached, crying. "That THING isn't a man, its a Devil. You've made a pledge to destroy evil like them" Freed said. "I DON'T CARE, HE'S MY FRIEND! I known him since childhood, there's goodness in his heart, I just know it! It doesn't matter what he is, but what he becomes! I know He would never approve of this, your simply murdering him!" Asia cried.

SLASH!

Freed's response was swiping at Asia, her clothes ripping open. "HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND, OR DO YOU HAVE MAGGOTS GROWING IN THAT PRETTY HEAD OF YOURS!" Fried yelled. "DON'T TOUCH... GAH!" Anthony tried to intervene, but his leg was killing him. "You know what happens to naughty little nuns, don't you?" Freed threatened with a perverted smile on his face. Seeing this, it lit a fire inside Anthony. "Leave... her alone..."

**[BOOST!]**

Freed stuck Asia to a wall by her clothing with his sword. He then grabbed one of Asia's breasts and started groping her. "Don't hurt me!" Asia begged. "Oh don't worry, I'll do more than that..." Freed oozed.

**[BOOST!]**

"Hey... puttana dell'uomo..." Anthony growled. The priest looked over at him expressionlessly. "I said... leave her alone..." Anthony growled. "Get in line, Devil man. I got her first" Freed joked. That just got Anthony even more angry. "Vattene... lei... solo... giusto, ADESSO!" He roared.

**[BOOST!]**

At this point, Anthony was flowing with power from his Gear, but Freed paid it no mind. Instead, he whistled mockingly. "My, my; someones horny tonight" Freed said, dropping Asia deliberately hard. "Tell ya what. Come over here and make me, and maybe I'll let YOU have a taste of this tramp!" He continued.

That... was his last mistake.

**[BOOST!]**

He officially pushed Anthony over his limit, Asia could feel her Sacred Gear in her hand tense up. The Italian was out for the priests red sauce... and NOT the kind used for pasta! Looking up at the priest, "Resquieta in pace" Anthony said and with that, he rushed forward to Freed to punch him. He blocked it with his sword, but only for 2 seconds as the boosted power from the Sacred Gear was too much and flung him into a wall. (**AN:** Now, I know what your all thinking if you've played Assassin's Creed 2... but this is NOT how you say _rest in piece_ in modern Italian. I'll leave the REAL translation in the Dictionary below, but I'm keeping this translation because its become iconic, thanks in part of said game. This is another reason why I have a Dictionary at the bottom.)

With the priest taken care of, Anthony ran (or at the very least, limped) over to Asia, helping her to her feet. "Asia, you ok?" Anthony asked, Asia in his arms... it took some willpower to ignore the fact that she was partly naked, and showing the world 'how much she's grown'. "I'm... I'm ok, Anthony. Thank you..." she said, looking into Anthony's eyes. Both of them turned to the sound of rumbling, Freed was still alive but banged up. "I'll admit... I'm actually impressed. You survived both my holy sword and my blessed bullets... why not we go for a new world record, and see how many pieces of meat I can chop you into!" Freed said, jumping with his sword drawn and going for both nun and human, having lost himself to his craziness.

CLACK!

From a magic circle, another sword clashed with Freed's own. "Kiba?!" Asked Anthony. "Hey, Anthony. Thought I'd join the party" said Kiba. Appearing from the portal was another Devil, Akeno. "Ewww, what a mess. Anthony... Anthony, you here? ... Oh, there you are! Koneko was worried about you" she said, looking around for the human and when she spited him, teased at Koneko's expense. "I was not. Just wondering if he was done, that's all" Koneko denied, also appearing from the portal. "Aw, HELL YA! This is what I can a gang bang!" Said Freed. "Sorry, but your done here, he's with us" Kiba said, his sword still drawn in case of another attack. "OOOOH! I GET IT, He's the catcher, your the pitcher. Talk about teamwork" said Freed. "For a priest, that's quite the mouth you got there" said Kiba. "Trust me, his cortecce worse than his mordere" Anthony groaned. "My, my; he's sounds like a piece of work" said Akeno. "And you sound like a hot piece of ass! OOOOOOOH! Nothing like lusting for a sexy Devil bitch" said Freed, blushing and hugging himself.

BLAM!

A red beam missed Freeds nose by a hair, destroying the wall behind him. "Keep talking, stronzo... WATCH what happens" Anthony warned. "He can try, but I don't think he can handle it" said Rias, also making herself known. She had prepared a spell of Destruction magic, but Anthony beat her to the punch so she powered it down before entering the premises. As she did however, another portal opened from above Freed. "Hope your hungry, cause we're serving all-you-can-eat light spears! MUAHAHAHAHA!" Freed laughed. Rias knew the wouldn't stand a chance against an army of Fallen Angels, so she had a teleportation circle prepared by Akeno.

Unfortunately... the magic only allowed members of the Gremory house to teleport...

-TIME BREAK-

The next day, Anthony didn't say a single word. Even after Rias healed him in the shower, he didn't thank her. He just walked out and snatched the towel that Akeno was holding for him, and dried himself in all his naked glory. She helped put bandages on as he sat on the sofa shirtless, but Anthony didn't thank her either... in fact, he didn't thank anyone for their assistance yesterday. Koneko had enough at brought it up. "You could say _thank you_ instead of being a jerk" she said. When he looked up at her, she flinched. There was intense anger in his eyes. "If I'm the jerk... what's that make all of you? You all left her behind, and God knows what that psicopatico is doing to her now..." he said, trying to hold his temper. "I already told you, that teleportation spell only works for members of my house. There was nothing I could do" said Rias from the shower.

"Liar" Anthony simply stated. Hearing it; Rias, still dripping wet and naked, looked out at him. "Excuse me?" She asked, hoping she heard him wrong. Kiba looked away, being the gentlemen that he was, but it caught him off guard all the same. "We could've grabbed her like a normal person and got outta there, no magic portal required" Anthony said. "And lead the Fallen Angels to us? I don't think so" said Rias. "In other words, instead of doing the right thing, you chickened out" said Anthony. "I was thinking of the best course of action in seconds, you think I wanted to leave a defenseless soul like that? We're would've been at mercy of the Fallen Angels" Rias defended. "So you left her to die... like Raynare did with me?" Asked Anthony.

Rias had no comeback ready for that. "You told me that Devils and Fallen were separate entities... from what I've seen just now, you couldn't be anymore alike..." Anthony said, coldly. Koneko was about to speak up and defend her president when Anthony spoke again. "She was my friend, Rias... my childhood friend... and the last memory I'll have if her, is her crying face as we just left her like an unwanted pet..." he said. "... I'm sorry... I really, really am..." Rias apologized, wrapping herself up and stepping over to Anthony to careness his cheek... but he blocked her attempt by grabbing her wrist. After looking into each other's eyes for a few seconds, "Yeah... me too" Anthony said one final time before releasing his grip, putting his shirt back on and left, slamming the club door shut.

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Cagna Dai Capelli Di Pomodoro:** means "tomato-haired bitch"

2) **Signora:** means "ma'am" (**AN:** Didn't think I needed to put the definition of _Sì_, that one should be obvious)

3) **Peccato:** means "too bad"

4) **Grazie: **means "thank you"

5) **Sicuro:** means "safe"

6) **Madre Stronza:** means "motherfucker"

7) **Puttana Dell'uomo:** means "man-whore"

8) **Vattene Lei Solo Giusto Adesso:** means "leave her alone right now"

9) **Riposare in Pace:** means "rest in piece" (**AN:** Incorrectly translated as _Resquieta in Pace_)

10) **Cortecce:** means "barks"

11) **Mordere:** means "bite"

12)** Stronzo:** means "asshole"

13) **Psicopatico:** means "psychopath"

Since Anthony isn't a Devil, I think having you-know-who warn him about Freed is within the realm of possibility... he senses almost everything else such as demonic power, etc. Also a bit of family feud in the Germory family, can/will they make up? Find out in the next chapter of **The Italian Dragon Emperor**!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5: Nun of that Nonsense - Part 3**

Walking through the park, Anthony watched children play and have a good time, with their parents and friends... they're lives looked so perfect compared to his. _'It's not fair... Asia was an innocent girl caught in the crossfire...'_ he thought to himself. He blamed his new Devil friends before but after being away from them for the past hour and able to cool off... was the REAL problem himself? Rias had said the magic circle only worked on Gremory members, so maybe it wasn't all her fault. Could Anthony had done something better? With his new power, he should have been able to beat the ever-living moccolo out of that good-for-nothing priest... maybe, Anthony himself was to blame.

Sure Anthony hadn't known Rias and her peerage very long, but they didn't seem like the malicious types. Perhaps he took his anger out on them a little too much... he'll apologize later. Right now, he needed to get stronger to protect his friends. It's like Rias said, don't overestimate yourself and what did he do? Just that, and it cost him Asia's safety. Maybe he should enroll in a gym or something... actually, there were some pull-up bars nearby like the ones you find around soccer/baseball parks; might as well start slow. He did 20 no problem...

"Anthony?"

He pulled himself up too quickly and hit his head on the bar, letting go and falling to the ground on his culo. Lifting himself back up, "Ow... warn a guy next..." he didn't finish, the rest of his words were caught in his throat. It was Asia, dressed in a new nun gown. Anthony couldn't help himself and ran to her, hugging her tight which she returned. Again, the feeling of her breasts squeezing into him flooded her brain. "Asia... are you ok? What did that bastardo do to you? If he touched a hair on your head..." he said, looking into Asia's eyes with concern. The nun assured him that she was fine, the Fallen Angels ordered Freed to not harm her whatsoever... that did nothing to ease Anthony's nerves on the guy though. (**AN: **Anyone else found it odd that Issei and Asia just glossed over the fact that she was almost raped by Freed in the anime? That always bothered me that they never brought it up or talked about it, wouldn't that be the first thing out of your mouth when you see someone you know about to get violated?)

-TIME BREAK-

"A-Anthony? Are you sure... there's no other way?"

"Yes Asia, this must be done."

"B-But... it's my first time... I don't think I'm ready..."

"Senza senzo! It's just meat. Come on, you can do... OW!"

"What are you doing to that poor girl, Anthony! And aren't you dating someone red-haired?" Asked a waitress. In fact, it was none other than Pesca, Anthony's neighbor. She had blond hair like Asia's but was dirty blonde more than light and it only reached down to the middle of her back. Pesca even had the same body type as Asia; just with a slightly larger bust (though smaller than Rias') and blue eyes. "Ow... che diavolo, Pesca! Can't a guy eat a burger in peace?" Anthony asked, rubbing his head after getting whacked with Pesca's check booklet. "That doesn't answer my question! What are you doing to this innocent young lady... and a nun of all people! Shame on you!" Said Pesca. "I-It's ok, ma'am. Anthony's my friend. My names Asia Argento" Asia introduced herself, also clearing the air. Pesca's eyes widened and then she grinned. "Oooooooh... so YOUR the special friend he'd always talk about" she teased, making both teens blush, Asia more-so. "T-T-T-T-THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Anthony defended himself.

WHACK!

"OW!"

"And that's for cheating on your current girlfriend. Honestly Anthony, I expected better of you" said Pesca, hitting him again. "Cheating? Girlfriend?... oh no, NOOOOO! That wasn't what that was all about!" Anthony tried to explain, not realizing their loud conversation had drawn other customers and employees attention. "Then why where you sleeping with her the other day?" Pesca whispered. While she liked teasing Anthony, she didn't wanna cause a scene. "That... that was... its hard to explain, ok? But Rias is NOT my girlfriend!" Anthony whispered back. "Then how come you were both na-?" Pesca began asking, but Anthony clamped her mouth shut.

One part was out of embarrassment, the other was part was sitting at the table with him...

"Pesca... I promise I'll talk to you about it later. But right now, I'm trying to have lunch here with my friend, so can you PLEASE calm down?" Anthony promised her. Pesca agreed and walked away, but not before putting on her 'work smile face' and waving bye to Asia, saying it was nice meeting her. Sighing, Anthony sat back down. "Who was that?" Asked Asia. "My neighbor, Pesca. She's a dolce girl, but loves getting into my business sometimes" said Anthony. "Ok... and who's Rias?" Asia asked again, making Anthony cringe. This was a conversation he wanted to avoid... how was he supposed to tell Asia that Rias saved his life by sleeping with him? That sounded so many levels of wrong!

"A, uh... classmate" he white-lied. "Abbastanza di questo, eat up! My treat!" Anthony said, getting back to his food. He and Asia were sitting in a local McDonald's and had the standard lunch of Burgers and Fries. He was unwrapping the juicy piece of meat when he noticed Asia just staring at the one in her plate. "Something wrong?" Asked Anthony. Asia blushed at him. "Well... where's the silverware?" She asked. Anthony had to hold in a laugh. "No need, that's what the buns for. Like this!" Said Anthony, taking the sandwich out of the bag and taking an overdramatic bite out of it. "Fry it... its goot" he said while chewing. Asia never had a burger before, but Anthony seemed to enjoy it, maybe she should try her's? "Um... ok. Here goes" she said, unwrapping her own food. She lifted it up to her mouth, pausing once it was in range.

"Andiamo, principessa. Non morde" Anthony laughed. "I, I know! Shut up!" Said Asia, whining cutely. She expected nothing less from Anthony, his personality hasn't changed over the years. When they were little, he'd poke fun at her shy nature from time-to-time, but always in a joking way. She was once afraid of a 'monster' in a church's closet... it was an outdated nun's gown from 1939, but still! In fact; Anthony once spoke about a girl he used to hang out with before meeting Asia (her chest tensed up when Anthony spoke about her for some reason), and would constantly joke that she looked like a boy. Her name was Irina or something...

Sucking up her doubts, she took a tiny bite and chewed... it was yummy! However, there was an elephant in the room that she had to clean off. "So... your a Devil now?" Shed asked. "No... I'm not. I was just saved by one" Anthony said. "Then... why did you show up for the pact?" Asia asked again. She didn't want to think Anthony would lie to her but unless he was a Devil, then there shouldn't be a reason for him to be there, right? "I was doing a favor for someone... she was exhausted and needed rest. You know me, Asia... always the trooper" Anthony said, rubbing the back of his head. Asia knew that, he's always do so much for other people of the church's community, yet they had no problem sending him away as a thank you. The nun just sat in silence, pondering over Anthony told her.

"Listen, things were... complicated... they still kinda are. Rias, the girl with red hair, she saved my life; and I was just doing one of her servants a favor... nothing more, I swear in Gods name. I'm sorry I didn't tell you at first... can you ever forgive me?" Asked Anthony. Asia was silent for a few more seconds before answering. "... It's ok, Anthony. I... understand. But with you with Devils now... we can't... be seen together anymore" Asia said, starting to tear up a little. Seeing Asia cry gave Anthony a flashback of the day when they were separated. Both of them crying out each others name as members of the church... their own family... sundered them. Slamming his hands on the table, Asia looked up at Anthony to see a warm yet stern smile. "Avvitali! Nobody gets between my friends, especially you!" He stated while making a fist. Calming down, he then held Asia's hands on the table, making her blush furiously... his hands were rough and warm, but also gentle and gave her a feeling of security.

Now that she thought about it; when she and Anthony were around 10 and 11, lots of church-going girls would eye Anthony constantly. And when they would either fall over or get hurt (sometimes purposefully), Asia and Anthony would run over to help... but they were more interested in Anthony rather than Asia's healing abilities... she'd also feel her blood boil when this happened for some reason. "Who cares what they say? Your my friend, Asia; and _no one_... will EVER take that away from me. How's about we spend the day together, you and me? Ai vecchi tempi?" Anthony offered, making Asia gasp and blush even harder, she also felt an increase in her heartbeat. "Yes... of course!" She nodded, the idea of spending time with an old friend was too good for her to ignore.

They did just that, and Asia had a blast! They played some arcade games, went to a movie, they even went inside a photo booth and took silly pictures. At one point, history seemed to repeat itself, and they passed a familiar-looking crane game. it was filled of the same stuffed animal that Anthony had won in the past. Asia was the one to notice it and ran over, looking at the cute and cuddly creatures. Anthony couldn't help but smile, but then remembered the one Asia kept the whole time was discolored and old... "So... trip down memory lane?" He asked her. "Oh! No, its ok. I still have the one you gave me, so..." Asia's stuttering was stopped by Anthony's finger, an he played the game anyway. He was actually studying the crane from all angles before putting his money in, and won on the first try! Asia couldn't help but clap at his effort... guess that headache when he and Asia were kids paid off...

"Thanks Anthony, I'll take better care of this little guy" Asia said, holding the stuffed doll to her chest. "You'd better. Come on, times a wasting!" Anthony joked, starting to walk away. Before Asia joined him, she hugged the doll as tight as she could. "I'll treasure this always..." Asia muttered to herself, then followed Anthony.

-TIME BREAK-

Sitting at another park, Asia was healing Anthony's leg. When they stepped outside the arcade, his wound started acting up, which Asia took notice of and took it upon herself to make him feel better. They found this park with a man-made pond and there was no one else around. "Does that feel better?" She asked her friend. "Do ya even have to ask? Look at these calves!" Said Anthony, running in place as Asia finished her work. "Awww, you moved on already? What about me, Anthony... after _all_ we've been through?" Came a voice that Anthony thought he'd never hear again. Turning around, he saw the one that set this whole thing in motion...

Yuuma... AKA, Raynare.

"So the rumor's true... your still alive. How's your leg by the way, hope it wasn't... a _stabbing_ pain" said Raynare, spitefully. "And you, Asia... I expected better of you. Hanging with the likes of Devil scum? I had such high hopes for you" she continued. "Leave her alone, Raynare... or Yuuma or whatever, she wants nothing to do with you" said Anthony. "And you think she wants _anything_ from you? Trust me, Asia; he's not worth your time" said Raynare. "Heh, that's funny. I seem to remember you actually enjoying yourself" Anthony shot back, matching Raynare's tone. "Oh I enjoyed a _LOT_, of things on our date... killing you was a high point. Why not finish, what we started?" Asked Raynare, drawing out a light spear. "If it's any consolation, I hate the thought of someone dying a virgin" she taunted. "A virgin will die alright, but it won't be me!" Said Anthony, summoning his Sacred Gear. Raynare showed surprise. "THIS is what you wanted from me, right? Well, come and get it!" Anthony said, feeling badass.

That feeling lasted until Raynare started giggling... then laughing... AT HIM!

"What's so funny?" Asked Anthony. "That's it... THAT'S what Azazel was so worked up about? It's just a mere Twice Critical" said Raynare. "Da what now?" Asked Anthony. "It's a weak Gear that doubles your power temporarily, but Azazel made it a point to watch out for you, why else do you think I put on the 'innocent girl' act? _Please, Anthony. Be my boyfriend_" said Raynare, her voice softening to Yuuma's to taunt him even more, then laughed again. "Like I said, I knew the game" Anthony argued. "Yet; you fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. _It's not a joke, I swear! Your really handsome_" Raynare mocked, changing her voice once more and laughed at him once again. "You gonna fight, or just chiacchierare me to death?" Said Anthony, getting a little annoyed at Raynare's games. "You really think you can take me with that piece of garbage?" Raynare said, getting angry. "If you battle as well as you act, then I won't need it" said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

Raynare threw her light spear at Anthony. Knowing he couldn't dodge without Asia getting hurt, he pushed her down with him, both avoiding the spear. The Fallen Angel readied another. "This'll be so much easier if you just hand Asia over. Do that, and I'll leave you be" said Raynare. "Like I'd trust the word of the same girl who stabbed me? I'm not THAT stupid" said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

Using the boosted power, Anthony fired an energy beam from his Gear. It was obvious that Raynare didn't expect it due to her facial expression, but she evaded it with a powerful flap of her wings. Soaring above the Italian, she threw another spear, but Anthony saw it coming and slid away from it as it stuck out of the ground like King Arthur's sword in the stone. Jumping upward, he went to throw a punch with his Geared fist, but Raynare had air control thanks to her wings and avoided his assault.

STAB!

And stabbed him in the chest with a 3rd spear. Anthony fell to the ground with a thud, clutching his stomach. "Nice catch there, tiger" Raynare derided. Asia immediately ran over and used her Sacred Gear to heal Anthony's newest wound. As annoying as this was for Raynare, she didn't want to harm the little nun... she still had uses for her. "Asia, why not be a good little girl, and come with me? Your Twilight Healing is more valuable to our cause" The Fallen Angel stated. "Twilight... Healing?" Asia asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"You mean you don't know? Didn't you find it strange that you can magically heal people with your hands? It's because you have a rare type of Scared Gear, Azazel should have been worrying about you instead of this turd" Raynare. "That's... MISTER turd to you. Ugh... so that's it? All you want is Asia's gift?" Asked Anthony recovering, though it was more of a statement. "Tell you what, you stick with me... and I won't murder your boyfriend" Raynare offered, ignoring Anthony. "What... you geloso?" Anthony taunted.

BOOM!

Raynare's response to that was another spear, but this one exploded at Anthony's feet and launched him backward. Out of nowhere, Raynare was behind him and kicked him in his back, sending him crashing into the pond. Asia looked on in fear and worry. "If I wanted to, I could shred him into tiny little atoms... this is your last chance, Asia. Come with me, or he dies" Raynare warned, readying a 5th spear to prove her point. Anthony managed to stand up in the pond, soaked wet, and saw Raynare near Asia... he had to get to her... to protect her, but his body was starting to tire out. "I'll... I'll go with you... just don't hurt him" said Asia. "Asia!... No wait, don't do it!" Called Anthony, stumbling back down. "Heheh, good girl. After tonight's ritual, I promise your worries will be gone forever" said Raynare, wrapping her wings around the nun, and teleporting them away. Anthony could only watch as they vanished...

He failed to protect Asia... again...

-TIME BREAK-

After getting back to the ORC, Rias slapped him in the face for making her worry. Then before Anthony could apologize, she did so first, saying maybe they SHOULD have done something to help Asia. He told the ORC Yuuma/Raynare kidnapped her and he was going to save her this time, whether Rias allowed it or not. Much to his surprise, she actually agreed to help him. Akeno heard something about a ritual in an abandoned church, so it didn't take a genius to figure out this was the very same ritual Raynare spoke about. Splitting into 2 group; Akeno and Rias would keep guards busy, while Anthony and the others snuck in. _**[Can you feel that?]**_

"No, what are ya...?" Asked Anthony, but realized it was the voice that helped him with Freed, the apparent voice of his Gear. **_[There's allot of Fallen Angels and priests in there. Be careful this time]_** said the voice before going silent. Seriously, it was like someone was trapped inside his Gear... nah! That's crazy. "What was that, Anthony?" Asked Kiba. "Uh, nothing" Anthony lied. He didn't want to tell them he was hearing voices in his head, last thing he needed to be labeled as was a schizo.

Koneko walked up to the doors of the church. "Koneko! Get back here!" Said Anthony. "No point, they know we're here" the first-year simply answered before kicking in the doors.

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Moccolo: **means "snot"

2) **Culo:** means "butt"

3) **Senza Senzo:** means "nonsense"

4) **Che Diavolo:** means "what the hell"

5) **Dolce: **means "sweet"

6) **A****bbastanza di questo:** means "enough of that"

7) **Andiamo, principessa. Non morde:** means "come on, princess. It won't bite"

8) **Avvitali:** means "screw them"

9) **Ai Vecchi Tempi:** means "like old times"

10) **Chiacchierare:** means "chit chat"

Didn't think you'd see Pesca again, did ya? Her memory, as you've seen, has not been wiped clean, so the restaurant scene could make sense... it was also cute and funny, don't deny it! Now we get to the battle of Asia's life and if you like this OC so far, then I _guarantee_ you'll love the battle scene between him and Raynare. Not much else to say (mostly cause I don't wanna give and details away), have a good one and see ya in the next chapter of **The Italian Dragon Emperor**.


	7. Chapter 7

Hmm, been a while, eh? Sorry about that, guys. I'm not just a fanfic writer, I'm also a Youtuber with a small fanbase, but a fanbase nonetheless. Gotta budget my time here. Before we start:

1) **Emblemfan1:** Thanks for all those reviews, you've also brought up quite a few questions many others have asked me:

_A) The look of the Sacred Gear: This is my fault, I've actually assumed many of you already know what the Boosted Gear (Anthony's Gear) looks like. To clarify, it currently looks its second form in the anime. It will evolve into its third and final form later on. Why does it look like this and not its Twice Critical form?... Can't tell you yet, but this leads to the next question._

_B) Anthony's new abilities, and how strong is he?: Your talking about his premature use of Dragon Shot, right? This also ties into his backstory, but I don't wanna say anything else until the time comes. At the time of writing this, I also reached out to another writer who asked a similar question, and was concerned this will turn into an "OP human in DxD" fanfic. I promise you, this will NOT be the case, as those fics he was talking about have an overpowered human for no reason other than Sacred Gear = victory. Anthony will have some __difficulties__ ahead._

_C) How will I explain how Anthony remained human?: Again, this is in his backstory, as well as some hidden lore. This chapter will clear the air somewhat, but it will still leave a few unanswered questions._

2) **Ace:** Thanks for the info on the characters there. And yes I'm gonna see Endgame, mostly cause it will be the final time good old Stan da man Lee will make one of his famous cameos... riposare in pace, Stan; you'll live on in our hearts and minds.

3) **Zero:** My character is stupid and can't do anything right? That's funny, you got ahold of a Phantom Ruby and couldn't do shit either (air-horn sounds). I love how you worded this too: _"you made your caracter too much stupid cant do anithing"_... this is how I know this guy is 9-years-old (maximum, 11). What's next, your gonna say you slept with my mom? Cause that's SOOOOOOOO original, #sarcasm. (**AN:** Only Sonic fans will get the first joke)

Alright, lets get back into it.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Raynare's Betrayal**

BANG!

One kick... that's all it took for Koneko to open the church doors. She was also extremely calm about it. "Destruction of Private Property and Breaking & Entering... you do this spesso, don't you?" Asked Anthony, jokingly. He got no response from the young girl, as usual. Aside from that, being in a church without a mass going on was creepy... it was WAAAAAAAAY too quiet.

That is, until a familiar priest came from a dark corner.

"Hey, look! It's the Devil boy and his Devil friends. Glad you could make it to our evening mass. Our first reading, is where you and me left off!" Said Freed, pulling out his gun and sword. "The thought of tearing away your maggot flesh and cook it makes my mouth water" he continued, giving his gun a lick. Normally, Anthony would've made a joke, something both Kiba and Koneko expected to happen; but Anthony's only answer was him summoning his Sacred Gear. "Listen here, Heath Ledger. I'm only gonna ask you once, and one time only... where... is... Asia?" The Italian growled. "Asia? Hmm, you mean that Devil-loving whore of a sist-?"

**[BOOST!]**

BAM!

Freed didn't get to finish his insult because Anthony, using his Pawn power to change into a Knight, was on him in mere seconds; holding the crazed priest by his throat against the altar. "Ultima possibilità... _where... is... Asia_?" Anthony asked again, his patience wearing thin. "Fiiiiiiine, such a buzzkill. She's in the basement below us, right underneath the altar. Here, I'll show you a SHORTCUT!" Said Freed, about to use his sword to slice Anthony's pretty head off. Thanks to the speed of the Knight, Anthony was able to get off and avoid the attack.

"Have a seat" said Koneko, tossing a bench at the priest. He sliced it in two easily. "Your pretty strong for a kid. You lost, or you need help finding your mommy?" Freed asked. "Suck it" said Koneko, proceeding to throw 2 more benches at a fast pace. Running sideways, Freed evaded and shot his gun at the trio. Kiba leapt at Freed and engaged each other, swords clashing. Freed tried getting a clear shot on the Knight a few times, but his speed allowed him to not only zip away from harm, but also dash right up for another attack.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony tried his own luck by throwing a punch that would've broken ribs if it made contact, but the priest's sword blocked Anthony's strike. "Too slow!" Said Freed, pointing his gun and was about to pull the trigger, but Anthony did a sweep kick to knock him off balance. He tried punching again, but his assault was once again blocked by the holy sword. Around the same time, Kiba also tried slashing, however the priest used his gun as a makeshift shield. "Not bad, for a bunch of Devils" said Freed.

BLAM!

He shot at Kiba, but the handsome Knight avoided it with some fancy footwork. Shoving Anthony off, Freed went after Kiba and their swords clashed again, only this time Kiba's sword turned black and... "Hey, what the hell?" Asked Freed, his holy swords light beginning to flicker. "This is Holy Eraser, a sword that devours light. Pretty cool, huh?" Explained Kiba. Freed just growled and increased the pressure of his attack. Kiba jumped away for some reason. "Hey, Father!" Called out the voice of Anthony. When Freed turned to fire his gun, Anthony was already in range for a KO punch.

**[BOOST!]**

**Anthony**: A-FUCKING-MEN!

POW!

**Freed**: GAAAAAAAAAAAH!

CRASH!

Getting socked right in the face, Freed felt one of his teeth crack under the stress as he flew into the altar. Blood also formed in his mouth, so he had to spit it out to the side. When he looked up, Anthony was coming at him again! He knew their was no way he'd survive another hit like that. Growling and taking something out of his pocket, "You haven't seen the last of Freed Sellzen! HA!"

FLASH!

POW!

Anthony's Sacred Geared fist impacted with the altar... but not Freed. He was nowhere to be seen. "Dannazione! CODARDO!" Anthony yelled out, as if to tell Freed that... wherever he went. However, he noticed some stairs that were covered by the altar previously were now visible. Was this the basement he was talking about? Maybe. Was it were he fled too? Probably not, Anthony knew better, that would be too easy. Having no other option, Anthony went down the stairs with Koneko and Kiba following suit.

Downstairs, was a sight that would haunt Anthony (and even the 2 Devils with him) for life...

Asia... hanging on a giant cross on a platform... like Jesus Christ before he died. The only good thing about it was that she wasn't nailed to it by her palms and feet, but instead chained... didn't make it any less horrifying. "Asia! ASIA!" Called out Anthony. Asia's eyes fluttered, hearing Anthony's voice. She moaned out his name weakly as she opened her eyes and lifted her head up, seeing her childhood friend. Thanks to the speed of the Knight he was still promoted to, Anthony was upon her quickly. "I'm here, Asia. Non ti preoccupare, I'll get you out" Anthony promised, beginning to pull on the chains.

POW!

"GAAAAH!"

Out of nowhere, Anthony was kicked in the stomach and flung down from the platform. Kiba managed to catch him. "Anthony! How nice of you to join the party" said Raynare, the one who delivered the kick. "Ugh... let her go, Ray-Queer! Or else your feathers'll be stuffed in my pillow!" Anthony warned as he was recovering from Raynare's surprise attack. "As comfy as that sounds, we're kinda in the middle of preparations at the moment. If you like, the dance floors open" said Raynare. The minute she said this, the 'dance floor' was suddenly occupied with Fallen Angels and priests, holy swords and light spears drawn.

Without a second thought, Anthony rushed at the new enemies with the speed he still had from his Knight promotion. He didn't attack them necessarily, but rather cast them aside to try and get to Asia as quickly as possible. Koneko and Kiba of course helping, turning the tide of battle. Anthony knocked down 4 opponents (2 priests and 2 Fallen), when he heard Asia cry out in pain. His head immediately turned and locked on, the cross Asia was on was starting to glow with magic. "Yes... yesssssss! It's coming, it's actually coming!" Said Raynare. Anthony was distracted by his childhood friends screams, he didn't see the Fallen Angel he knocked down prepare a spear...

POW! CRASH!

Hearing the noise behind him, Anthony saw the Fallen Angel he just fought was now against a wall, unconscious. Koneko's foot was in the air, she obviously took care of it. "We'll take care of these guys, Anthony. Go, now!" Said Kiba, engaging another priest. Anthony only nodded a silent thank you, then ran up the platform.

By the time he got up there however, Asia had stopped crying... but her eyes resembled those of dead people or those just standing on Death's doorstep. "You want her? Take her" said Raynare, snapping her fingers and the chained that bound the nun loosened. Asia fell like a rock, but Anthony manged to catch her... she was cold to the touch. "Asia? Asia? It's me, Anthony; remember?" Asked Anthony, speaking softly. Thankfully, Asia began to stir from the sound of his voice. "A... Anthony?..." She manged to get out, though it was clear it took allot of effort out of her.

"It'll be ok. Just heal yourself, and we'll get outta here, ok?" Anthony asked. Asia's eyes expressed shame for some reason. "I... I..." she started. "Go ahead, I got EVERYTHING I needed out of her, you can go now" said Raynare. Anthony was tempted to lash out at the Fallen Angel, but he had to worry about Asia right now. "Here, I'll help you" said Anthony, lifting up Asia's hand over her body. Much to his surprise, Asia's Sacred Gear didn't activate. "Come on, Asia. Heal yourself" said Anthony. "I... can't..." she said.

Hearing this, Anthony began putting pieces together. He didn't like the picture it painted. "What... did... _you_..._ do_?" He turned his head to Raynare slowly as he growled at the Fallen Angel, demanding an explanation. "You still don't get it? Asia had no need for Twilight Healing, so I figured I'd burrow it for awhile" She said, revealing the Sacred Gear's physical form for a quick second. "Put... it... back... _proprio_..._ adesso_..." Anthony ordered. "My, my; soooooo tough. Listen, I had to go under the radar for this, so the answers no" Raynare said, then readied a light spear. "But if you like, you can die together."

"Why... why do all this? If your trying to get back in His Grace, why target Asia? What did she ever do to you?" Asked Anthony. "Who said I EVER wanted to get back in His Grace? Being a pure angel was so boring, had to spice things up in my life" said Raynare. "By going around asking random men on dates?" Asked Anthony. "_Hehe, that's the point, silly boy. I needed a superhero to fulfill my damsel in distress act. I wish you could see the look on your face when I revealed myself to you, it was classic and made spending time with you worth it!_" Said Raynare, mimicking Yuuma's voice and laughing once she was done. "But like I said, you knew how to treat a girl. That was the most fun I've had in a thousand or so years, I almost felt bad I had to kill you" she continued.

"To think I was actually fooled by a girl whose name meant 'dolcezza'..." Anthony muttered. "Actually, I chose Yuuma because it also meant 'setting sun'. I found it appropriate since my plan was to kill you at night anyway. Speaking of which, let's talk inappropriate. First; you refused to die, even though you promised you would. Then after you came back, you replaced me with a pious nun slut._ Ugh, shame on you, Anthony. That's just low, even for you_" Raynare taunted, once again using Yuuma's voice. If she wasn't so focused on mocking Anthony, she would have noticed his teeth gritted and Sacred Gear glowing. "_I thought you and me were something special. Did you take her on a date too?_" Raynare continued, blissfully unaware of the quickening blinks Anthony's Sacred Gear gave off as well as the Italian's growling. "_Your making me so jealous. Did you get your pole greased by her? What about me? Maybe I can hop on the meat stick next_? HAHAHAHA!"

That was the last joke Raynare made...

"SHUT **UUUUUUUUUUUP**!"

KA-POW!

Enraged, Anthony put Asia down gently and with a quick swing, he punched Raynare in the face with his Sacred Gear. Blood leaked out of her mouth from the impact, then she slammed head-first through the cross Asia was hung on moments ago. This also caught the attention if those who were fighting below. For 6 seconds, Raynare didn't move... guess she didn't see that one coming. Anthony went over and wrapped his arms around Asia again, when he heard the rumble start moving. "Ugh... Anthony... you... you hit me..." said Raynare in a low voice. She felt her lip, feeling blood on it, and brought it into her line of sight. "I... I... I **LOVE** A MAN THAT TAKES CHARGE! WHERE WAS THIS HUNK ON OUR DATE, **HUH**?!" Raynare said crazily, readying a new light spear since the one she held before dissipated.

Slamming it down, she missed due to Anthony jumping away. He wasted enough time, he needed to get Asia help... and fast! "RUNNING AWAY? HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO GET LAID BY PLAYING HARD TO GET?!" Raynare continued her crazy talk, flying after him. She threw more light spears, but missed each time.

Since he was still treated as a Knight, Anthony was able to get out of the basement and back to the surface quickly. Once he was in the main building again, he heard Asia cough, her breathing also slowing down. He set her down gently on the only bench that wasn't used (or damaged) during the fight with Freed. "Asia? Resta con me, ok? Everything'll be fine" Anthony assured her, grabbing her hand and firmly squeezing it. "A... After you left..." Asia said, her voice a little horse. "... I prayed... prayed for so long... that I'd... see you again... I was blessed... to have a friend like you..."

"Non parlare così, you'll be fine, I promise!" Said Anthony, his eyes starting to water. He's lost so much in his life... he couldn't lose her... not again. "Once you get better, we'll sing karaoke one night. Then I'll take you to that Disney movie you always wanted to see... ya know, the one with the Lions? And after that, I'll introduce you to the ORC. Sure they're all Devils, but they're good people... so are these 2 pervs in my class, but I'll keep them in line..." Anthony cried, tears steaming down his face like Niagara Falls. Asia's hand caressed his wet cheek. "I never wanted... to make you cry... not after all... those bullies..." Asia said, tears in her eyes as well, but she held her smile. "I'm so sorry... Anthony... I loved... being with you again..." she continued, looking straight into Anthony's eyes. "It was... like old times... I never got to... tell you how... I felt... Anthony I... I... I loved you... I loved you, so much..."

Those were the nun final words before her hand with limp, along with her body and breathing. Anthony just looked down with widened eyes, trying to process what he was seeing. It couldn't be... the last person from his former life... gone. Over what? Not a fire, not moving away... over nothing at all.

"Why... why her, huh? She was a healer, she... she helped people" Anthony sobbed, hugging Asia's body. "Isn't this what you wanted? Your creations to live in peace? WHY! WHY TAKE HER, ASSHOLE! SHE WAS INNOCENT, SHE LOOKED UP TO YOU, EVEN SKIPPED TIME WITH ME TO ATTEND BIBLE STUDY! THAT'S FUCKING DEDICATION! SHE HEALED THOSE IN NEED, DIDN'T YOU HAVE A PURPOSE FOR HER ON EARTH?!" Anthony screamed up to the roof, though his sorrow was directed to God himself. "YOUR OWN SON DID THE SAME THING, BUT YOU COULDN'T SPARE HER? YOU TOOK AWAY MY MOM AND DAD, BUT NOW HER?! GIVE HER BACK! GODDAMMIT, GIVE HER BACK!" Anthony cried, hugging Asia's body tighter as if to keep her here.

"How ironic."

Hearing that voice, Anthony tensed up. "A Devil praying to God... doesn't that hurt you or something?" It was Raynare, having finally caught up with Anthony. But instead of finishing him while he was morning over Asia, she took the opportunity to pleasure herself by torturing him a little more. "By the way, see this? Your Knight boyfriend did this to me, but doesn't matter" said Raynare, showing Anthony a cut. She then used Asia's Twilight Healing to heal the wound till it was gone. "Thanks to Asia's cooperation, I'll never have to worry about tiny scrapes or about losing my rank in the underworld. Ahhhhh, Great Azazel..." Raynare cooed.

"That's it?" Asked Anthony. "You did... all of this... for some school girl crush? Azazel... he's the leader of the Fallen Angels after turning his back on God, right? You took an innocent life, just to get into some guys pants?" Anthony asked the Fallen, becoming angry. "Look, it's nothing personal, this is the destiny of mortals who possess Sacred Gears" Raynare stated. "That's Cazzate! She never cared about power, she was no threat to you!" Anthony snapped.

"Maybe not, but her power was feared by humans all the same. They don't deserve such power, they'd just abuse it anyway" said Raynare. "Heh, funny. You speaking from experience?" Anthony back talked. "Humans are such hypocrites. They claim to fight for a common goal but the minute someone better comes along, they try and run them into the ground... what a waste of power" said Raynare. "It never would have came to that, I would've protected..." Anthony said.

"She's already dead, you moron! How you can protect something that's already gone? Even if she wasn't, you couldn't save her anyway, just like you couldn't save mommy and daddy!" Said Raynare, cutting him off and pointing at him. Wait a second, how did Raynare know about his mother and father? Regardless, that last comment made Anthony's reason snap.

**[BOOST!]**

Raynare flinched. Something was wrong. Anthony's power just spiked to a level he didn't have before. Running forward, Anthony punched Raynare in the chest, making her slide across the room. As painful as that blow felt, she just laughed it off and healed herself with Asia's gear. "Weren't you listening? It doesn't matter how many times you touch me, I'll just heal right back up!" She said.

**[BOOST!]**

Ignoring the Fallen Angel, Anthony charged again, but this time Raynare jumped to avoid the attack. It was mostly out of luck since Anthony was still promoted to a Knight. Spinning in midair, she threw 2 light spears at Anthony's legs, embedding themselves in his knees. "Hurts, doesn't it? Light is the worst pain a Devil can endure..." Raynare's speech was stopped by...

**[BOOST!]**

Although in extreme pain, Anthony grabbed both spears and pulled them out of his knees with a cry of rage and sadness. Now Anthony knew how Ace Ventura felt that one time... _'No way... a third power boost? But that's impossible, its just a Twice Critical'_ Raynare thought to herself. What surprised her even more was the fact that Anthony manged to stand, albeit with some difficulty. "How can you even stand? That light should've burned your kneecaps inside-out, what kind of Low-Class Devil are you?!" She said, both angry that her power seemed to have not allot of effect on the 'Devil', and scared because there was no way for a Twice Critical could give him such endurance.

"I'm... not... a Devil."

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony was now radiating power in waves, reaching a level that Raynare couldn't match. Out of fear, she threw another light spear in desperation. Rushing forward with his fist outstretched, the spear was knocked down as Anthony closed in on his target. A whisker away from punching her again, Raynare evaded above and threw a light spear in his back... a stronger one. Anthony fell to the ground, but rolled over once the spear vanished. Above him, was Raynare with another set of wings. "Alright, you want to play rough? FINE!" She said, swooping down at the Italian.

CLACK!

Kiba arrived and blocked Raynare's attack. "How rude, you weren't invited on this date!" Said Raynare, swiftly kicking the blond Knights head and knocking him into a pile of ruined benches. Koneko jumped up from behind the Fallen Angel and kicked her in the back, making Raynare crash into the floor. "You ok, Mister Stallion?" Asked Koneko in a monotone voice. "Sure... passa attraverso di me" Anthony coughed.

While he and Koneko conversed, Raynare started glowing, she was healing herself again! "HA! You've already replaced Asia with a kid? You really ARE a prude!" Taunted Raynare, flying into the air and levitated 4 light spears around her before launching them. Koneko didn't have the speed of a Knight, but she was tiny, so it made her a slightly harder target as she evaded. She jumped up to deliver a punch to the Fallen Angel... but the poor girl was blasted at point-blank range with some Fallen Angel magic. She crashed into the floor, good thing being a Rook came with high defense... or she might be in worse condition.

"Talk about saving people, your own fuck-buddies tried bailing you out while you just lie on the floor!" Said Raynare. "_Raynare, keep an eye on the human, Anthony. There's something about him that needs investigation..._ " she continued, improvising a male voice, most likely Azazel's. "Time and time again I reported nothing interesting about you, but he was so adamant you were different. _Just keep watch over him_, he says. _His Sacred Gear will awaken eventually_, he says. I was tired of waiting day after day, month after month, year after damn year! _Strong emotions will trigger a premature release_, he says. But even after your own family burned to death right in front of you, nothing happened! Only after defending some scared little girl, did your power awaken, and what a disappointment..." Raynare blabbed on.

Hearing that Raynare knew about the fire made Anthony's eyes widen, as he relived the memory...

-FLASHBACK-

_Anthony was playing video games with a friend of his, Irina Shidou, that fateful day. After she went home and left with her parents, Anthony's mother and father prepared to get dinner started. Anthony was upstairs cleaning his room (he was a bit of a neat freak), when he heard a commotion downstairs. For some reason, his Father was on top of his mother, choking her to death as the stove was on fire. He kept saying to his wife "moriresti per me" as he prevented the love of his life from breathing. The fire on the stove started eating at the wallpaper until it started growing, but Anthony's father paid it no mind._

_Scared and not knowing what else he could do, Anthony ran out off the house as the fire blazed, his parents trapped inside._

That of course, was what the trauma to his mind showed him, but now that he heard Raynare's confession...

_Anthony was playing video games with a friend of his, Irina Shidou, that fateful day. After she went home and left with her parents, Anthony's mother and father prepared to get dinner started. Anthony was upstairs cleaning his room (he was a bit of a neat freak), when he heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Thinking it might have been Irina or one of her parents, he headed down only to see his father had already answered the door. He let in some young girl that had the same attire and looked the same age as Yuuma... and it appeared Anthony's father was in some kind of trace._

_"Miele? Chi c'è?... Oh, abbiamo un ospite! Benvenuto, benvenuto!" Said Anthony's mom, she loved it whenever company showed up (**AN:** A common, and extremely true, stereotype is that Italians LOVE company). "Good evening, my names Yuuma. I just moved in next door, its nice to meet you!" Yuuma said cheerfully, in perfect Italian. "Piaceri tutti miei, tesoro. Tony? ti dispiace chiamare Antonio per cena?" Asked Anthony's mother, but her husband did not answer, just stood there motionless. Yuuma held out her hand, their was a glowing circle on it. "Thank you so much for letting me stop by, but... moriresti per me?" She said and with a roar like an animal, Mister Messuri was on top of his wife, choking her while repeating the words Yuuma had just used._

_As the Messuri parents continued to fight, Yuuma revealed her true self to Anthony's mother, whose eyes struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. An Angel? In her house? And it was somehow controlling her husband with a magic trick? But they were law-abiding citizens, raised their child right, and did everything they could to support each other; so why was a servant of God punishing them like this? Looking behind Yuuma, now Raynare, Misses Messuri's eyes widened upon seeing her son see them like this._

_Noticing her reaction, Raynare turned to see a young Anthony standing and staring, his young mind trying to process what he was seeing. An Angel? Mom and dad, fighting? It was too much to take in at once! Smiling evilly, Raynare formed a light spear, and threw it into the stove, causing it to explode and blaze. Anthony just backed up, his instincts telling him to get the hell outta there, and he booked it. His home burned to the ground as Raynare's laughter echoed in his ears..._

-END FLASHBACK-

Anthony's fist tightened, hard. Tears started falling down his face again... the light of his Sacred Gear flickering.

"That's quite enough, Raynare" said Rias, making herself known. "Oh, look; if it isn't the Red Crimson Princess herself, Rias Gremory. To what do I owe this_ wonderful_ audience?" Asked Raynare, venom oozing out of her voice. "You've toyed with my servants emotions long enough. I'll..." Rias said, but a sudden spike of raw power stopped them both. It originated from...

**[BOOST!]**

"... You... you killed... my family..."

**[BOOST!]**

"Ruined... my life..."

**[BOOST!]**

"Betrayed... my trust..."

**[BOOST!]**

"Incasinato... my childhood..."

**[BOOST!]**

Both Rias and Raynare, as well as the recovering Kiba and Koneko, FELT the change in Anthony's power. Not only was he getting stronger... he was getting angrier. His head was down, so they couldn't see his face. "Impossible... I modified your memories, how do you remember that?" Asked Raynare, her body shaking. Anthony just continued to growl, trying to control his temper. "YOU... took EVERYTHING... from MEEEEEEE... just to... get your... MICIO WEEEEEEEEEET?!"

**[BOOOOOOOOOOST!]**

Anthony was now flaring with raw, unadulterated power... that, and fury. Raynare began to back up, she was now scared, and still didn't understand how a little Twice Critical could do all this. Sure, Sacred Gears get stronger based on its owners emotions... but still, Twice Critical was one of the weakest Gears! There's no possible way that one could contain such an enormous level of power. As soon as her foot stepped backward, Anthony's head shot up and locked onto Raynare, pure rage on his face and eyes! Panicking, she once again levitated multiple spears of light and threw them at Anthony...

SHATTER! (8x)

None of them got even an inch close to his flesh, they shattered on mere contact with his power! Knowing she was now outmatched big time, Raynare turned to fly off. Sadly for her, Anthony was still in promotion as a Knight, and grabbed her leg tightly. "Non iniziare quello che non puoi FINIRE!"

KA-POOOOOOW! CRASH!

Slamming his Sacred Gear right into her side, Anthony launched Raynare into a wall. Her ribs broke, and one of her wings were bent. She immediately tried healing herself but this time around, these injuries were more severe than the others. Before she could blink, Anthony clutched her neck with his right hand (not enough to choke her, but hold her down) and started hitting her... over and over again. Every time he punched her, it felt like she would break apart on the next hit, so she sped up the healing to her fullest extent. Anthony didn't have the strength of a Rook or Queen, but his speed of a Knight let him punch her at a rapid pace. With every 4 punches he gave, he would boost up.

He didn't want to stop... couldn't stop. Anthony was now like a rabid animal, not going to stop until his prey was subdued or killed. He no longer cared what he was doing, he just needed **_something_** to take his anger and sadness out on, and Raynare was the perfect punching bag. Even with the Twilight Healing, Anthony caused more damage to her body than she could repair. As she looked into Anthony's eyes, she could've sworn she saw a transparent image of a dragon... though it might have just been a hallucination out of fear.

She needed an alternative... something to get him to stop and distract him long enough. Pulling back after the 29th punch, Anthony prepared to strike again...

"Anthony!"

Anthony stopped himself. Raynare had the audacity to change into her Yuuma persona. "I'm sorry... I really am! Like I said, I didn't want to kill you, but I had no choice! I truly loved our date, Anthony... and you. If I really didn't love you, why do you think I spared you all those times? It's because you really showed me a good time, I couldn't kill you... it broke my heart. I love you, Anthony. Please understand, Azazel's the leader, I couldn't go against him. But with you... I can leave it all behind... we can be together, forever..." Yuuma/Raynare said, also crying while she spoke. "I... I..." Anthony stuttered.

...

...

...

"I know the game..."

Yuuma/Raynare gasped.

**[EXPLOSION!]**

"Resquieta in pace, sole al tramonto" said Anthony and with a roar, he continued his attack as Yuuma/Raynare screamed.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

He and Yuuma/Raynare were engulfed in green light. When it faded away, the wall was completely destroyed with Anthony's Sacred Geared fist in the middle of it... all that remained of the Fallen Angel, was the Twilight Healing on the floor, black feathers raining around.

Raynare... was no more...

Tired, Anthony deactivated his Gear, but he still had one thing left to do. Picking up the Twilight Healing, he ran over to where the deceased Asia laid, and slipped the rings of her gear on his fingers. "Come on, Asia. Come on!" He ordered, using the gear to try and bring Asia back somehow. Of course, it didn't work but still... he had to try. The rest of the ORC watched as Anthony did this. Once he realized his effort was futile, he took off the ring and gave them back to Asia's corpse. "Once the Sacred Gear leaves the body, its like pulling the heart from its strings... I'm sorry, Anthony... she's gone" said Rias, honestly feeling bad for her newest servant.

He was on her, grabbing her shoulders and pulled her face up to his. "Bring her back" was all Anthony said, not blinking. "Anthony, I..." Rias was saying, but Anthony quickly interjected. "PLEASE! Rias..." Anthony sobbed, putting his head down. He was so exhausted, that he could barely stand anymore, his face also landed in her bust. "My mom... my dad... she's all I have left... please... bring her back..." Anthony begged, but then lost consciousness and slumped over. He boosted way too much and used way too much power from his gear.

His battle with the Fallen actually explained allot. This wasn't a Twice Critical, but a Longinus... the Boosted Gear, otherwise known as the Red Dragon. No Twice Critical was capable of that power and even if it was, it would have destroyed itself in the process. Rias will have to explain this to Anthony when he wakes up. As Kiba and Koneko took the young Italian off of their King, she eyed Asia's still form before making a decision...

-TIME BREAK-

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

CLICK!

"Ugh... feel like merdaaaaaaaaaaaaa" groaned Anthony, waking up. After stretching his muscles, he got out of bed to brush his teeth and stuff. As soon as he exited the room however, he smelled something good. Was Rias making him breakfast this time? When he got downstairs, he looked at the person in the kitchen... did Rias dye her hair yellow? No wait, could that be...? "Hmmm? Oh, buongiorno Anthony; I..." Before 'Rias' could finish, Anthony rushed over and hugged her tight. "Asia... thank God... your alive. I'm so happy. Your home" he cried, tears of joy streaming down his face.

_At Kuoh Academy..._

BANG!

Anthony slammed the door of the ORC open, seeing Rias drinking some hot tea. "Oh, good morning. Sorry I didn't sleep with you last night, I..." she said, but stopped when Anthony rushed over and hugged her just like he did to Asia this morning. Rias dropped her tea as a result, but she could always get more. "Thank you... thank you, so much..." Anthony cried again. Rias couldn't help but blush, she didn't expect him to be THIS happy. "Your... your welcome. Would you mind having a seat, there's something I need to speak to you about" said Rias.

"Oh... sorry" Anthony apologized, but he couldn't contain his happiness. Taking a seat on the opposite sofa, he and Rias got down to business. "As you already know, once a Devil decides to reincarnate a human, Evil Pieces are used to bring them back to life" said Rias. "Except this guy, did you ever figure out why yet?" Anthony said, thumb pointing to himself. 'Unfortunately no, but I have a theory it might have something to do with your Sacred Gear" said Rias. "My Gear?" Asked Anthony, looking at his hand were his item was stored.

"Anthony, did I ever tell you how many pieces I used to revive you?" Asked Rias, getting off her sofa and sitting on the arm of the one Anthony was at. "Um... no, just that I'm a Pawn. So you can have 7 more, right?" Asked Anthony. He then started blushing when Rias wrapped her arms around his neck from behind him, her breasts against him. "Your the only Pawn I'll ever need, or want. To be honest, before reviving you; I had a Rook, a Bishop, a Knight and all 8 of my Pawns" she said. "All eight... so, you used all of them... on me?" Asked Anthony, reading the content clues on her choice of words. "I didn't have a choice, you only responded with all 8 of my Pawns, so I knew there was something special about you. Plus, your battle with Raynare proved it, your Sacred Gear isn't a Twice Critical... but in fact, the Boosted Gear. One of the 13 Longinus, also known as the Red Dragon Emperor, and one of the most powerful Gears in existence" Rias explained, her head resting on Anthony's shoulder.

"Boosted Gear, huh?" He asked, then felt his chin being turned to face Rias. "The Crimson Princess, Rias Gremory; and the Red Dragon Emperor, Anthony Messuri... match made in hell, isn't it?" Said Rias. "Hard to argue with that logic" Anthony smiled. "Well, I suppose I should stop coddling you, or our newest member will become jealous" winked Rias. "Excuse me?" Asked Anthony, cocking an eyebrow and not understanding what Rias meant.

"Um... Anthony... what's going on?" Asked the innocent voice of... "Asia?! What are you doing here?... and why are you wearing that?" Asked Anthony, seeing Asia was wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform. "It's ok, she's prettier than I am... and will probably do things I wouldn't do..." Asia said. Anthony now felt embarrassed, what the hell brought up THIS conversation? "W-What'cha talking about? Of course your a pretty girl, Asia! Just look at you, your cadavere stupendo!" Anthony said, though he's never seen this side of Asia before so he wasn't sure how to react.

"Like I said, no need for her to get jealous" said Rias. "I'm not jealous, I'm just insecure! Dear Lord, please forgive me sin of lust and... GAAAAAAAAAH!" Said Asia, then she started praying and... it didn't go well. "Asia! Sorry, since your a Devil, you can't pray anymore" said Anthony, helping his childhood friend back up. "Oooooooh, but you were this morning..." she whined. "That's because he's not a Devil, my dear. Anthony's still as human as the day he was born" said Rias. "I know... God's probably angry at me for changing into a Devil, huh?" Said Asia.

"How do you feel about it?" Asked Rias. "No regrets. As long as I'm with Anthony, I can take on anything!" Asia said, cheerfully. Rias found the former nuns innocence contagious, even she felt whenever Anthony was around... where did that come from?! "By the way, what do you think?" Asked Asia, twirling around for Anthony to get a good look at her new clothes. "Like I said, fantasico! Tomato-Head here's got nothing on you" said Anthony, giving Asia a thumbs-up. "Excuse me?" Asked Rias, narrowing her eyes at Anthony, but he didn't show any fear. "Invidioso much?" Asked Anthony, winking at Rias.

"Humph, asshole" said Rias, smiling at Anthony, knowing she got caught. Akeno, Kiba and Koneko then walked into the room; with the Queen pushing a tiny cart with cake on it that read: "Welcome Asia!" Anthony wasn't gonna lie, it was pretty cute. He didn't know what to expect next, but one thing was for sure... it'll be one HELLUVA ride!

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Spesso: **means "often"

2)** Ultima Possibilità:** means "last chance"

3) **Dannazione: **means "Goddammit"

4) **Codardo: **means "coward"

5) **Non ti preoccupare: **means "don't worry"

6) **Proprio Adesso:** means "right now"

7) **Dolcezza:** means "gentleness"

8) **Resta Con Me:** means "stay with me"

9) **Non Parlare Così:** means "don't talk like that"

10) **Passa Attraverso Di Me:** means "goes right through me"

11) **Moriresti Per Me:** means "would you die for me"

12) **M****iele? Chi c'è? Oh, Abbiamo Un Ospite. Benvenuto, Benvenuto:** means "honey? who's there? Oh, we have a guest. Welcome, welcome"

13) **Piaceri Tutti Miei, Tesoro. Ti Dispiace Chiamare Antonio Per Cena:** means "pleasures all mine, sweetheart. You mind calling Anthony down for dinner"

14) **Incasinato:** means "fucked up"

15) **Micio:** means "pussy"

16) **Non Iniziare Quello Che Non Puoi Finire:** means "don't start what you can't finish"

17) **Sole Al Tramonto:** means "setting sun"

18) **Merda:** means "shit"

19) **Buongirono:** means "good morning"

20) **Cadavere Stupendo:** means "drop-dead gorgeous"

21) **Fantastico:** means "fantastic"

22) **Invidioso:** can mean "jealous" or "envious"


	8. Chapter 8

1) **Omnisaurus:** Thank you very much for the defense and kind words. And about the DxD reaction series, I'm actually still working on the full project. It wasn't the first video posted, but it's the first one I've been editing and putting together, so I'm trying to make it the best I possibly can with my limited experience. Anyone else wanna check it out? My channel name is Sion Crush (please don't tell me it's weird... I know).

In other news, this chapter gives more detail about Anthony's backstory, along with development between him and a few members of the ORC. Remember to review, but most importantly... enjoy!

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**Chapter 7: A New Living Arrangement**

Two days later. Anthony walked inside to clubhouse. "Hello? Prez, ya here- GAH!" He asked, then walking into something. "TOGILIO, TIGLILO, TOGLILO!" Anthony's hands widely grasped whatever he walked into. "Jesus Christ, son of a... bra? What the... OW!" He said, then felt his head slapped by something... and wet. "See anything you like, pervert?" Asked Koneko, holding a lobster in her hand... it was broken now. "Ugh, no I... you hit me with a lobster?" Asked Anthony. Koneko then held up 2 more items, one in each hand, both of which would hurt more than a dead shellfish. "Would you rather a jackhammer, or dumbbell?" She asked.

"What's going on... uh, Anthony? Why are you holding my bra?" Asked the voice of Asia, whose head peaked out of the clubhouse shower. Anthony's jaw dropped, how was he supposed to justify this situation? "I think he was gonna wear it like a pair of earmuffs" said Koneko. "I WAS NOT!" Yelled the human. "Oh, please don't Anthony, you'll look silly" said Asia. "I just walked inside and it got caught on my face! Non l'ho notato, LO GIURO!" Anthony frantically denied, hanging the fabric back up on the clothesline.

"Sure you didn't" said Koneko. Anthony looked down at the younger student. "Listen, shorty; I'm not that kind of guy. It's not like I was TRYING to..."

STOMP!

Anthony was stopped by Koneko's tiny foot crushing his own, his eyes popping out of his head and whining because of the pain... it felt like his foot was crushed under a wrecking ball. "Suck it" said Koneko, releasing her foot and sitting on the sofa, getting out a snack to eat. "ANTHONY! Are you ok?" Asked Asia, running out of the shower in a towel and kneeled down to check on her childhood friend. "These piggies went 'whee, whee, whee' all the way to the ospedale" the Italian croaked in a cracked, high-pitched voice.

Asia started healing his 'piggies' with her Sacred Gear. In doing so, she dropped her towel without realizing and... Anthony looked away, but he couldn't help but stare for a second. Perhaps it was better to let Asia finish healing him first...

After the healing session was done and Asia finished her bathing, Rias walked in and sat at her desk. She called Anthony over, as he wasn't doing anything except reading his recipe book (though Rias was curious what he'd make next, not everyday she had a meal like the ones he made). "Training? But you've seen me fight, I can totally handle myself" said Anthony. "That may be true. But if you want to maximize the power you can get from the Boosted Gear, I have to make sure your in peak condition... mentally and physically" said Rias. "More power, eh? Sounds promising... alright, sono un gioco" Anthony said, confidently...

What was with that smile on Rias' face? It was cute and sexy, don't get him wrong; but something about it made Anthony's spine tingle.

-TIME BREAK-

It actually wasn't as bad as Anthony thought it would be... at first. In the front of the ORC building, Rias had Anthony run some laps while she rode a bike alongside of him which wasn't too difficult... then she forced him to CARRY the damn thing for 3 more! IF that wasn't the worst part, everytime he'd slow down, she'd hit him in the culo with a small Destruction spell. "QUESTO CAZZO FA SCHIFO!" Shouted Anthony. When that was over, he did pull-ups on some bars Rias magically conjured up. "Stop for a second" commanded Rias. Anthony did, and she went behind him and went down. He went to look down, "DON'T LOOK!" She ordered, which Anthony obeyed. What was she up too?

"Ok, now you can go" she said. Anthony pulled... "GAAAAH! What the...? PALLE CATENE?!" Asked Anthony, looking down and seeing what she did. "Strength isn't the only thing that'll get you by in the underworld, your gonna need intelligence too" said Rias. Anthony's right eye twitched, and gave Rias an anime-style annoyed face. "And how does _THIS_, boost my intelligence?" He asked with gritted teeth, gesturing with both hands. "Chop, chop; times a wasting" said Rias, not giving him an answer. He ended up muttering something in Italian, earning him a Destruction spell in the ass again, yelping in pain.

Next, she had Anthony do push-ups, which was also easy enough. After doing 30 without stopping (which impressed her), Rias told him to stop. "Ugh, what now? You gonna sit on...? GACK!" Asked Anthony. "You said it, not me" Rias smiled devilishly, sitting right on the center of Anthony's back, forcing him flat on the ground. "Yeah. Match made in hell, alright" he muttered. Not willing to quit, Anthony continued, though it was harder due to the... extra weight. He tried not too, but the feeling of Rias' soft yet firm buttocks made his mind drift in certain directions... what can he say, he's a guy.

She then slapped his butt, not hard but enough to get his attention. "And don't think I don't know your having sexually charged thoughts about me" Rias said. "God was cruel to men, ok? He gave you an extra rib, and we can only think with one head at a time" Anthony joked, making Rias hit his butt a little harder. "Come on, PUSH!" She ordered. As Anthony groaned and got down for his 45th push-up, he slowly grinned, getting an idea. He heaved upwards, making Rias squeal in surprise as she was thrown off like Rose off the Titanic. The poor Devil landed right on her side, as Anthony kept pushing up.

"YOU PUSHED ME!" She yelled at him. "l'hai detto, non io" Anthony smiled back, continuing his training regimen. "I'M HERE, SORRY I'M LATE... WHOA, OOF!" Said the cheerful voice of Asia, running to join Anthony and Rias with a basket of bottled water, but she fell over herself. "ASIA! You ok?" Asked Anthony, jumping up immediately and running over to help Asia. As Rias watched this, she couldn't help but be impressed. Even after all the training this morning, he still got up and helped a friend in need. It was much like when he wanted to rescue Asia, he went after Raynare despite the odds stacked against him.

-TIME BREAK-

Heading home after school, Anthony walked down the street. He was alone at first, but then Rias and Asia joined him. Not thinking anything of it, he continued his journey home while making small talk with the 2 girls. When he finally got to the apartment complex... "Whats with all the boxes? Someone moving in? Eh, maybe Pesca'll know" said Anthony, shrugging off the sight and headed up to his apartment, not noticing Rias smiling and Asia looking shy. When he got upstairs, there were more boxes... "At mia porta? The hell?" Anthony asked aloud, now a little concerned. He was sure he paid his rent last month...

Then... he saw a familiar symbol on the side of them.

"... Rias... why is there boxes... by my house... with your family name on them?" He said, remaining calm. "Oh, right. I forgot to mention, Asia'll be staying with you" said Rias, though the smirk on her face told Anthony she 'forgot' on purpose. Besides, it wasn't a big deal to him that Asia would be moving in... it's not like she could go back to the church, for a variety of reasons. In fact, Asia and him once had a sleepover when they were younger because of a storm, and the young blond was too scared to go back to her own room... actually, that was when the church decided to cut him loose...

"Oh... alright, though it would've been nice to know in advance, could've cleaned the house before she came" said Anthony, calming down a little, but then he (and Asia) jumped out of his skin when his apartment door opened, and a man walked out towards Rias. "There you are, Miss Gremory. Miss Argento's and your accommodations are all set" said the man. "Thank you, payment will be in your account tomorrow" Rias thanked, with the man bowing and talking his leave.

"Unless that was Pesca's 25th boyfriend... who found the key to my apartment again... why... was that asino casuale man... _in. My. House_?" Asked Anthony, biting his tongue to keep himself from yelling. He had no problems with Asia was moving in, she couldn't stay in that drafty clubhouse, he wouldn't allow it. But what was that 'your accommodations' deal about? (**AN:** Italians are stereotypically EXTREMELY protective of their homes... and food)

"Since Asia can't exactly move back into her prior arrangement, when I asked her where'd she'd like to live; the first word out of her mouth was you. She even told me of the sleepovers you had, it was so sweet" said Rias, Asia blushed as she said this. "Then why is YOUR stuff here?" Asked Anthony. "I thought I'd move in as well, isn't that great?" Said Rias. Anthony's face paled, this was NOT good. School rumors, campus theories, Asia's jealousy, Rias' teasing, accidental run-ins with the opposite sex... no matter how you'd spin it, it wasn't a good mix... it'll end up bad for Anthony.

"Rias... this is NOT a good idea" Anthony said. While he did have lewd thoughts about multiple girls when he was a horny middle schooler, he was now grown up thanks to the path his life took him. "Why? It's not like you haven't slept with a girl before" Rias teased. "Well, I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter, did I?" Anthony asked through his teeth. "She could learn how to be a good wife" Rias teased again, getting a deep-red blush and an 'eep' from the ex-nun. "M-M-M-M-Marriage, NOW?! A-A-ABBIAMO SOLO SEDICI ANNI! PER COSA PARALA DEL MATRIMONIO? QUALI GENITORI SANI DI MENTE PERMETTEREBBERO PERSINO AL LORO BAMBINO DI FARE QUALCOSA DEL GENERE?" Anthony said quickly, not expecting Rias to throw the marriage card. Don't get him wrong, he's always thought about having his own family, but not while he was still in school!

Anthony stopped himself when he noticed Rias' facial expression, it was sad. "Hey, Rias; you ok?" Asked Anthony, but his devil master didn't answer. It was like she was in some kind of trace. "Yo! Terra a Rias?" Asked Anthony, snapping his fingers in her face twice. "Huh? Oh. It's just... uh... I wanted to pay you back for the kindness you showed me" she replied, now out of the funk she was in. This made Anthony think, it was a little out of the blue, but maybe this was Rias' way of saying thank you... odd yes, but maybe he overreacted just a little.

"Look, I don't have a problem with 2 amazingly attractive girls moving in. Just ask next time, ok? You caught me by surprise" said Anthony with a smile, attempting to make Rias feel better. She smiled back at him. "Deal, now can you help me carry my things?" Asked Rias. Anthony picked up the closest box and carried it. "Yes, your majesty" he teased. As he turned around, Rias' face returned to its saddened state...

SLUMP!

A sound came from behind the 3 friends... did the box break and something fall out? Turning to check, they saw Pesca standing with her mouth agape, having dropped her bag of groceries in shock. "First... you sleep with her... then... you cheat on her with the nun... now, all 3 of you are living together? Am I missing something?" She said, pointing to Rias first, then Asia. Anthony sweatdropped... this was gonna be a pleasant conversation/explanation.

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony made breakfast again the next morning, and it was to die for. Rias and Asia sad they loved it, making Anthony smile. Maybe living with 2 girls wasn't such a bad idea after all... as long as the student body doesn't find out, that is. Not only would the Perverted Duo never let him live it down, but he'd also be numero uno on every boys' hit-list.

"Alright, ya hooligans. Settle down! We have a new student joining us today, so please make her feel welcome" said the teacher, introducing Asia to the class. They all stopped what they were doing and paid attention... many boys also stared in awe of her beauty. "G-Good morning, I'm Asia Argento" said Asia, shyly, introducing herself to the class. Anthony was surprised himself. Out of every other classroom she could've been put in, she ended up in his... he was happy, don't get him wrong, but he wondered if Rias had something to do with it. "I feel kinda like a fish out of water, but I'm excited to be here" she continued. She noticed Anthony, so she began to relax. At least he was here for her, this way she'd know SOMEBODY.

"SWEET! We got a shorty, and she's hot, yo!" Said Matsuda. "Bust 34, waist 26..." said Motohama, but he felt something hit the side of his face before he could finish his calculations. "HEY! WHO THREW THAT?!" He asked, but no one answered. Anthony just chuckled, putting his Boosted Gear away... it truly was a handy tool. 'Well, it looks like Asia's gonna get along with everyone just fine. As long as they don't find out...' Anthony thought to himself. "It's overwhelming, but luckily I'm staying with Anthony."

No sooner did those words leave Asia's lips, every single male student in that room eyed Anthony, making the Italian sweatdrop. Of course, Matsuda and Motohama were on him in seconds. "You've been shacking up with Gremory AND Shorty? HOW'D YOU PULL THAT OFF?!" Said Matsuda, shaking Anthony while crying. "You gotta tell is your secrets! Page 3, subsection 5 of the bro code demands it!" Said Motohama, holding Anthony in place from behind. "It's in the 'Italian Stallions' genes, now let me go!" Said Anthony, breaking free from the perverts' hold. Regardless, Anthony smiled as a few girls called Asia over to an empty desk near them, looks like people'll like her.

**Girl #2:** So, you live with Anthony?

**Asia:** Ah, yes. I've known him for a long time and...

**Girl #4:** What's he like?

**Asia:** Well, he's a good cook; and he's such a gentle guy who you can talk too...

**Girl #3:** How big is he?

**Asia:** _(doesn't understand the question or why it was asked) _Um... 5'8.

**Girl #5:** Real cute. Seriously, what's his SIZE?

**Asia:** _(is confused)_ Size...? Well, he's got a big heart and..."

**Girl #1:** _(facepalms)_ Do we have to spell it out for you? How big is his d-?

**Teacher:** ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! That's enough! Turn your books to page 12, NOW!

Anthony was never so happy to start a lesson in his life. Troie. That's the only word Anthony could think of to describe those girls. They clearly weren't at all interested in anything Asia had to say unless it was about him. The poor girl also didn't catch onto their slang, which Anthony was thankful for... that would be a conversation he'd rather avoid with the ex-nun.

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony had taken his bike to school today instead of walking. The reason for this was because Anthony hadn't made a pact in quite some time. He didn't have to since he was still human, but felt it was necessary; Rias did in fact save his life. Although Anthony couldn't help but think there had to be a better way to pay Rias back for giving him a second chance at life, a birthday feast maybe? He'll ask when her birthday is and... actually, since Devils are immortal, do they even CELEBRATE birthdays? Eh, he'll worry about all that later.

Asia had gotten all sorts of attention from everyone, and it overwhelmed the poor girl. Luckily for them, Anthony knew a guy in the wood shop club that was more than happy to assist the obvious problem the bike had... that being it was a one-seater. It wasn't the best solution (or the safest), but Anthony found it rude to just take his bike home and leave her behind. It was hard trying to ride with it, but eventually Anthony and Asia found balance and took the new and (slightly) improved bike home. If this was gonna become a recurring thing, Anthony will have to work overtime at his job to get enough money for a new bike.

"I'm glad everyone was so nice to me today" said Asia, cheerfully. She had herself worried about fitting in with the crowd since she was church-schooled, but today turned out better than expected. "Oh yeah, especially those tazze di frutta during homeroom" Anthony said, earning a light slap on the shoulder from Asia. "Sii gentile, they were just curious about you" said Asia. "Sono sicuro che lo fossero..." said Anthony, sarcastically. "Your friends Matsuda and Motohama are really nice too" Asia said. "Yeaaaaaaaah, about them... they didn't do anything to you, did they?" Asked Anthony. "No" said Asia.

"Didn't ask anything creepy?"

"No."

"Ask you to swing their dolphin?"

"No, what's that?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it" Anthony cut to conversation off, not wanting to go any further or worry Asia. "By the way, are they devils too?" Asked Asia. "Pffft, they wish. Why do you ask?" Questioned Anthony. "Well, they invited me to a party they called _Devils Three Way_" said Asia shamelessly, mostly cause she didn't understand what it meant. "Whatever you do, NEVER accept that invitation" said Anthony, sternly. "Oh, ok" Asia promised.

BUMP!

Anthony either drove over a rock or a large crack in the pavement, for the bike bounced a little and due to the sudden happening of it, Asia hugged Anthony on instinct. Anthony stopped the ride to check on her. "Hey, you ok?" He asked turning his neck to face her. "Oh... y-yes, I'm fine" Asia assured him. "Alright... well, hold on tight. Eggplant Parmesan with chicken and rice, here we come!" He said, revving up and riding home. Asia couldn't help but giggle at his ecstatic behavior towards food, he was always like that... he'd even aggravate the church cooks about it whenever they served something. Hugging Anthony as he drove home, Asia blushed as she leaned her face into his back... she was glad she found him again.

-TIME BREAK-

Rias was staring into space the next day, she hadn't even touched the paperwork on her desk. Anthony noticed his as he sat on the sofa (not the one Koneko was on, he didn't want a repeat of 'the piggies'). Walking up to her, he called once. Nothing. He called again, a little louder. Still nothing. "_*makes a radio static noise*_ Attention passengers, would a Rias Gremory please be so kind as to answer her favorite Pawn when he talks to her?" He said. "Huh?" That finally got the red-heads attention. Smiling and getting in on the joke, she took out her pinky and thumb in the shape of a phone. "This is Rias Gremory. Tell my handsome Pawn I'm awake now, I must've spaced out. It's just been one of those days" she teased. "10-4, copy that. I'll let him know. _*makes another static noise*_" said Anthony.

This little show earned giggles from both Asia and Akeno, Kiba smiled and while Koneko was emotionless, she was happy the perv was able to cheer Rias up... if only he knew what she was so worked up about...

Anthony then got to the ground and faked climbing upstairs in front of Rias' desk, then did an overly gentleman-like bow. "You called, your most esteemed highness?" He said. "Yeah. I'd like you to go sit down, funny man" she said. "Your wish is MY command" Anthony joked, bowing and staying bowed as he walked backwards into the sofa he was just sitting on. She wouldn't say it out loud, but Rias was glad Anthony made her smile just now. She had so much on he mind. "Asia?" She called the ex-nun to her desk.

"Um, yes ma'am?" Asked Asia, wondering what Rias would be calling her for. "I was thinking of making your big debut right now, if your ok with it?" Asked Rias. Even though she was the master of the house, she never wanted to force her servants into doing anything they weren't comfortable with. "Right now? Isn't it a little early?" Asked Anthony. Asia hasn't been in town for long, so its not like she knew her way around... hell, she got lost trying to find the bathroom today... TWICE! It also didn't help that she always ask Anthony were it was, leading to some eyes gluing onto them.

"As a devil, she needs to make a pact with someone sooner or later. One can't hurt, can it?" Asked Rias. "It's sweet you want to protect her, but you need to relax and let the bird out of the nest. Besides, she'll be awesome, I just know it" said Akeno. "I have no doubt of that. In fact, I think she'll be TOO good at getting one" deadpanned Anthony. "Too good?" Asked Rias, interested at Anthony's choice of words. "Just look at her! Sparkly green eyes, long blond hair, a good figure! There's NO ONE on planet earth that wouldn't want to make a pact with her!" Said Anthony. "Oh... well, thank you, for believing in me" Asia blushed.

"Then again, that's also the problem. She's so sweet and innocent, I'm worried someone'll take advantage of her" he continued, making Asia gasp. "And you know that better than anyone, don't you?" Said Koneko, looking up from her eating her chocolate. Anthony just stared at her for a few seconds with an annoyed expression. "Seriously, do you ALWAYS have something to say?" He asked... and didn't get a response. "Look Prez, I just think Asia should sit this one out. At least, until she knows the area better. I'll take her contract" said Anthony, making Asia blush again. "R-Really? You'd do that for me?" She asked.

Anthony just rubbed her hair, making her smile. "Of course I would. Come on, you know me better than that. Especially when all those bullies attacked you that one time" Anthony said, making Asia nod. "... Very well, but just this once" said Rias, allowing Anthony his request. "Thank you, miss. I'll hop to it now" said Anthony, leaving the room by entering a magic circle Rias had prepared.

After a moment of silence, "So... you were attacked? At a church of all places?" Asked Rias, making Asia jump at her sudden question. "Um... yes. Anthony fought hard to protect me" said Asia. "Sounds like he fought hard to get in your pants" said Koneko, biting another piece of chocolate. Out of all the slang Asia had heard since coming here, that was the most blunt case she had ever heard, so much that she actually understood EXACTLY what it meant. "O-O-Oh. N-N-No, that's not it at all. In fact, that was the first day he used his gift."

...

...

...

That made the room fall silent. Asia had called her Sacred Gear a gift for so long, it was just automatic sometimes. The ORC knew this, and this was news to them. Anthony had used his Boosted Gear before? Why didn't he tell them? Why did he play dumb about not knowing what it was? "So... his gear awakened..." started Kiba. "Before getting reincarnated?" Finished Akeno. Rias tilted her head in thought, was THIS why he didn't become a Devil? Maybe. But then again, it could be just a coincidence. 'Would you mind sharing?" Asked Rias, to which Asia nodded.

-FLASHBACK-

_About a year and a half after Anthony was taken under the churches wing after the lose of his parents, he and Asia walked along a path into a garden. Seeing a white flower nearby, Anthony picked it up and placed it in Asia's hair. "Perfezionare! Like a queen! Fallo, ragazza! Lavoraci!" Said Anthony, putting his hands together like a camera and pretended to be the paparazzi; with Asia giggling and telling him to stop, yet made no moves to remove her makeshift crown nor run away from the attention he was giving her._

_"Isn't that cute? Antonio's putting the moves on the nun" said a voice. "I wonder what Miss Ganim would have to say about this?" Said another voice. Looking behind them, Anthony and Asia saw a few students that were also known to bully others, even adults! They were actually 3 years older, so they were in a different class. "Ascolta, Scott. we don't want any... OW!" Anthony tried to say, but one of the bullies threw a rock at his face, causing blood to leak out._

_"Talk in English. This is America, A-mer-i-ca!" Said one of the bullies. Anthony held his face, but felt blood and pulled his hand back to check, the red liquid confirming his suspicions. Immediately, Asia began healing him. "There goes the witch, doing her hocus pocus again" said Scott. "Pelt her!" Shouted another bully, picking up another rock with Scott and 3 more bullies following his lead._

_Anthony saw it coming, and got in front of Asia protectively, defending her from the attack. Asia's eyes began to water. The pelting stopped after a few seconds, but 4 bullies pulled him off of Asia and onto the ground. "ANTHONY!" Cried Asia, but she couldn't him due to Scott blocking her path._

_"Sisters in the house of God shouldn't be so naughty, bitch" said Scott, slapping Asia hard enough to knock her down. "ASIA!" Cried Anthony, but the grip of the 4 bullies on him outweighed his physical strength. Scott then got atop of Asia, touching her in a VERY provocative ways. Anthony called out for Scott to let her go, but he was too busy to answer._

_Scott heard a beating going on behind him, figuring Anthony was getting a beating that he deserved. He then heard footsteps behind him, and groaned. "Ugh, look Chad, you can have your turn in a..." he said as he turned... it was not this Chad person, nor ANY of the other bullies._

_It was Anthony, his eyes full of rage... green rage. While this didn't scare Scott, the condition of his comrades were in did, they were on the ground clutching themselves in pain. That was impossible, how did a weakling like Anthony fight all of them off? And were did that red toy come from?_

_**[BOOST!]**_

_The last thing Scott saw was the "toy" slamming into his face... he was in the hospital for a week afterward, then punished accordingly for his actions._

-END FLASHBACK-

"But when I asked him about it, he didn't remember anything... just this surge of emotion and the next second, he was on his feet with the bullies all around him. I thought maybe it was the shock of him using his gift for the first time, I know it was for me. But even after another year, he still never said anything different, so I decided to never bring it up again. Then when Lady Raynare attacked us, and he used the gear for himself, well..." said Asia, but she stopped, not wanting to relive another painful memory.

Rias was shocked by the tale, and here she thought there was no evil in churches since it was the house of God. So Anthony's gear activated at a young age? It was interesting, it did explain why Anthony was so protective, but it left her with even more questions. If Anthony had access to his Sacred Gear, then why didn't he use it to protect himself when Raynare first attacked him? And why couldn't he remember using it? It might have been the trauma as Asia had pointed out, but then why didn't he recognize it after a second use?

The flash of a magic circle fulled the room, Anthony was back already? "Here..." he said with no emotion, handing Rias the pact he made. "Uh... Anthony... why are you...?" She began to ask, but stopped due to Anthony glaring at her... he was in no mood to talk right now. That's saying nothing about what he was wearing, he was dressed in a Sailor Moon outfit... the main female character. "Non... chiedere..." the Italian growled, ripping the clothes off and revealing his uniform underneath.

-TIME BREAK-

The next day during P.E., students were outside in gym clothes, working out or running track. Asia was doing stretches with another student, lifting each others weight using their backs. "OOOOOOH! Check it out! If you catch the right angle of Shorty's shorts, you can get a full-on panty shot!" Said Motohama, eyeing Asia's group from a distance. "Awwww, snap! I think I see it, hom-..." said Matsuda. However, the top of his and Motohama's heads were grabbed and clacked together, making them both groan in pain. Anthony was standing behind them. "I told you both already, I have no problem with you checking out girls... but Asia's off limits!" Anthony said, sternly yet calmly. The aura Anthony was radiating made the Perverted Duo obey and not question him any further.

"Look, I'm going to take a power nap, can I trust you both to behave?" Asked Anthony. For some reason, he still felt tired despite having a good nights sleep... guess its one of those days. The boys promised they would TRY and constrict their hormonal instincts... so to help them, Anthony hired 2 girls from the Kendo Club to 'babysit' them.

Anthony didn't know how long he was out, but he didn't care. Opening his eyes and turning left, he went to get up... only to see something... or rather, SOMEONE, had crawled into bed with him... naked.

Rias... who else? What was off was the fact her Devil wings were out as well. "Dolci cazzi sacri!" Yelped Anthony, panicking an grabbing the curtain behind him. This caused him to fall off the bed and pull down the curtains with him. Rias, eyes fluttering due to the noise, began to wake up "Hmm? Oh, good morning, Anthony. Sleep well?" She asked with a cute yawn.

"Just _fine_, what are doing here?" Asked Anthony, getting out of the curtains. "I felt a little sleepy, so I figured I'd grab a quick nap" she said. "And that lead you into bed with me, HOW?" Asked Anthony, since there was 5 more beds Rias clearly could've had all to herself, yet she chose to sleep with him. "You looked lonely, so I had to join you" she answered, no hesitation. She then cupped his cheek in an affectionate manner. "Hey, your face is all red. You ok?" Rias asked. She was playing dumb, Anthony knew this. She knew EXACTLY why he got all hot and bothered.

"Yeah just... most people I know don't take naps in the nude" Anthony said, blushing to the the closeness of their faces. "I'm sorry. I've been like this since I was little, I could never sleep unless I was naked... that's not a problem, is it?" Said Rias, again with no shame. "N-N-No, j-just caught me by surprise is all" Anthony said. Rias then rested her forehead on Anthony's. "So tense. Just relax, it's not like you haven't seen me already" said Rias. "Again... didn't have a choice either" Anthony said, trying to control his nerves.

"Hey, this might be an odd question, but are you an admirer of breasts?" Asked Rias, still not a hint of discomfort nor embarrassment. "Uh... I don't know, never really thought about it" Anthony white lied. He's a teenage boy, of course he's had a few thoughts about a girls body parts. Unlike his two 'friends' however, he controls it better than others. "I see... maybe you should try mine... you can touch them if you want" said Rias, giving Anthony a sly smile. Anthony's jaw dropped... she didn't just say that, did she? Then again, she once _stood up so he could get a better view_, so its not like it wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Excuse me?" He asked, his voice cracking. "Just answer me honestly, then you can ravage then ALLLLLLL you want" said Rias, giving Anthony the offer. "Uh... do I have a choice this time around?" He asked, voice still cracked. Rias got up and started putting her clothes back on. "No, this isn't a request. Meet me in the club room after school, then we'll talk" she said, walking out and leaving Anthony to himself. _**[I'm surprised. Most men would kill for a cup-the-feel free card]**_ said the voice in Anthony's head. Seriously, who did it belong to? Was it his innermost desires or something?

-TIME BREAK-

"Rias? You in?" Asked Anthony, entering the ORC after school. "You came? Wow, you must really wanna get off on me, don't you?" She teased, sitting on top of her desk. "Yeah, yeah; real funny. So whats the question? How I look this good? How I mix the perfect blend of rosemary and herbs?" Asked Anthony, shaking off her 'offer'. Now that he calmed down, he figured she was just pressing his buttons earlier, it seemed to be her favorite pastime. Anthony wondered if she did the same to Kiba...

"What do you really think... about marriage?" Asked Rias. Anthony searched her tone and face for deceit, but found that Rias had asked a question quite honestly. "Well. Um... its a beautiful thing" said Anthony, making Rias slightly gasp. "Two people come together to remain bound for the rest of their lives... two souls that love each other more than anything. My mom and dad are... er... were, a prime example. Sure they fought sometimes, but got through everything that life threw at them by sticking together. Its nice... unlike that shit you see on TV, people that just use marriage as a way to further there own agendas. It feels wrong. Promising to love someone and screwing them over? Why even bother putting up with someone you don't even like, you'll just end up miserable" said Anthony, continuing with his speech.

Rias just stared in surprise, unable to answer Anthony back. "Oh, uh. Sorry, I tend to get emotional. I'm a real train wreck, aren't I?" Asked Anthony, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment...

SMOOSH!

Rias hugged him, catching Anthony off guard. "Thank you, Anthony. I'm glad you gave me a real answer" said Rias, her eyes getting watery. Not knowing what else to due, Anthony just slowly hugged her back. Rias stiffed up at his touch, but then relaxed and sank into the hug. She needed this, especially with what she was going through... she was glad Anthony was here for her. In fact, she was so into the hug, that she didn't react when the other members of the ORC walked in. They stared in shock, not expecting to see this. "Um... Prez... you realize everyone's watching, right?" Asked Anthony, but he didn't get an answer... nor did Rias let him go. She just kept her eyes closed, and stayed wrapped in his arms.

Akeno was shocked the most. Rias had told her many times that she'd never... repeat, NEVER be interested in a man. In Rias' words; all men were the same horny, egotistical creatures and their was no way in hell she'd EVER fall for one... but looking at her now, and the way she acted around Anthony and not Kiba..._ 'No way, I can't believe it... Rias... is totally into him...'_

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Toglilo:** means "get it off"

2) **Non I'ho Notato, Lo Giuro:** means "I didn't notice it, I swear"

3) **Ospedale:** means "hospital"

4) **Sono Un Gioco:** means "I'm game"

5) **Questo Cazzo Fa Schifo:** means "this fucking sucks"

6) **Palle Catene:** means "balls and chains"

7) **l'hai Detto, Non Io:** means "you said it, not me"

8) **Mia Porta** (can also be said as **La Porta**)**:** means "my door"

9) **Asino Casuale:** means "random-ass"

10) **Abbiamo Solo Sedici Anni: **means "we're only 16"

11) **Per Cosa Parla Del Matrimonio:** means "what's this talk about marriage for"

12) **Quali Genitori Sani Di Mente Permetterebbero Persino Al Loro Bambino Di Fare Qualcosa Del Genere:** means "what parents in their right mind would even allow their child to do something like this"

13) **Troie:** means "slut(s)"

14) **Tazze Di Frutta:** means "fruit cups"

15) **Sii Gentile: **means "be nice"

16) **Sono Sicuro Che Lo Fossero:** means "I'm sure they were"

17) **Perfezionare:** means "perfect" or "perfection"

18) **Fallo, Ragazza. Lavoraci:** means "work it, girl. work it"

19) **Ascolta:** means "listen"

20) **Non Chiedere:** means "don't ask"

21) **Dolci Cazzi Sacri:** means "holy crap cakes"


	9. Chapter 9

Don't get mad, but the ORC isn't having the Dodgeball match this chapter. As funny as it was, I wanted to do something more original, as it also plays in part of the story I wish to tell. Please do understand but don't worry, while the Dodgeball match isn't appearing here, that doesn't mean it won't happen later on. I have another gag in mind once they get to the forest... just read...

* * *

**Chapter 8: Journey to the Familiar Forest**

"Familiars? Ya mean like minions from the Elder Scrolls games?" Asked Anthony. Currently, everyone was in the clubhouse. "If you mean servants you can summon at your own whim, then yes" said Rias. She wasn't much of a video game player, so she had no idea what Elder Scrolls was. Today, Rias announced that Anthony and Asia would be getting their own Familiars soon for all their hard work. Before Rias could explain, there was a knock at the door. "It's unlocked" Akeno said and sure enough, multiple people entered. "Sorry to interrupt, Rias Gremory" said a girl with circle glasses.

"Um, Anthony? Whose that?" Asked Asia. "That's the president of the Student Council, Sona Sitri. I'm guessing the rest of these guys are other council members" said Anthony, only because he recognized Sona as he's seen her picture in the school paper a few times. "Ah, Sona. What's brings you here, the Student Council have business with me?" Asked Rias, kindly. "Actually, this is more of a personal matter. I wanted to congratulate you on finally getting 2 more servants" said Sona. This confused Anthony, how did a human know about the secret life of the ORC Devils? "You look confused, hone. Sona Sitri isn't just the president of the Student Council, but next head of the Sitri Devil family" Akeno explained, seeing the confusion on Anthony's face. "Well, shit... everyday's a school day" said Anthony.

"That's sad, you didn't tell your new boyfriend about us? But I guess since he isn't exactly a Devil, I can't blame you for keeping such information" said a boy. He had short blond hair and grey eyes, but he had the selves of his uniform rolled up... he was also overconfident. "Its improper to get involved with the affairs of other households, Saji" said Sona. "Saji? As in Saji Genshirou, the new Council Clerk?" Asked Anthony. "Yes, and my Pawn. Forgive him, he's still new" said Sona, apologizing for her servants rudeness. "What a coincidence, this is Anthony Messuri, my Pawn and also a new member of the Gremory family" said Rias, gesturing to the Italian.

Wanting to make a good impression on this new group, Anthony decided to play it cool. "Its a pleasure to meet... wait, HOW'D THEY KNOW I WAS HUMAN?!" Anthony bowed, but then shot back up once he realized Sona's Pawn somehow knew of his human status. "News in the underworld travels fast, its no secret that the Gremory family had obtained new servants... though one that remained human even after reincarnation isn't heard everyday" said Sona. "Uh, yeah... guess that makes me unique, huh?" Anthony joked.

"Humph. Don't think your special, Jump-Man. You and your merry band of slutty sluts don't deserve to breathe the same air as the Sitri's" said Saji, still being mean. "Excuse me? And who gave you the right to police the air we breathe? Jesus Christ?" Asked Anthony, putting emphasis on the word _Christ_ since a Devil can't say it without getting a flash of pain. "Think your so tough since you can say His son's name? I took up 4 Pawn Pieces, bro; you've got nothing on me" said Saji, confidently and obviously unaware of how many Anthony had. "Except the fact he took up 8" said Sona, making Saji look like a complete idiot.

"Wait, seriously? But he's a worthless human! How did this lame-ass butt-munching foreigner...?" Saji was saying, but he was caught off guard by Anthony summoning his Boosted Gear. "Listen Miss Sitri... with all due respect... can you shut your cagnolino up, before I euthanize him?" Asked Anthony, becoming angry but controlling his temper. "... so, the rumors are true. Your also the wielder of the Red Dragon" said Sona, shocked at first upon seeing the legendary gear, but recovered. "Damn right, and this is one Dragon you don't wanna piss off" said Anthony. All day, he put up with Matsuda and Motohama's antics towards Asia... he was not willing to negotiate.

"Saji?" Asked Sona, her tone telling him to apologize or else. "O... right, sorry" he said, halfheartedly. Then he noticed Asia. "And you must be the Bishop, pleasure to meet you" said Saji. "No, please; pleasures all mine" said Asia, kindly; making Saji's heart flutter. "Are you sure your not an Angel? Cause I'm sure you must've feel straight from..."

POW!

Saji was backhanded by Anthony's left hand, back towards his masters feet. "Oh, did I do that? So sorry... still trying to get a hang of this thing... still human after all" said Anthony, not being serious. Wiping his face, Saji stood up. "Whatever. How's that flyer business working out for you?" He snapped back. "For your information, _bro_... me and Asia just got promoted, we're getting Familiars and everything" said Anthony.

Sona looked surprised upon hearing this. "Is this true?" She asked Rias. "As a matter of fact, yes. I was planning on going to the Familiar Forest next week" said Rias. "Well, this poses a problem. We were planning on going the same week and the caretaker only accepts one family per mouth" said Sona, a little sad. Anthony saw this, and immediately felt a little bad. It's not like he was a Devil and needed a familiar right now, as cool as one sounded. He would have suggested they all go together, but there was no way in heaven or hell that he would allow that half-baked Pawn to go anywhere with him... especially with Asia around.

"Oh... well, you have more members than we do, and it's not like I need a Familiar right now. I'm willing to field it" offered Anthony, stunning Sona and her group with his generosity. "Same here. I don't mind handing out flyers for an extra month; I find it fun, I'll get to meet so many new people" Asia said, agreeing with Anthony's statement. This was unheard of to both Devil masters. According to legends, those who have inherited the Boosted Gear have been known to be power hungry or lost themselves when they discovered they possessed such a gear. To hear this boy, kindly give up his chance for a familiar, was odd yet refreshing.

Sona was about to thank him when Rias spoke up. "While my newest servant does indeed have a heart of gold, the final decision isn't up to him. I think in order to keep this fair, I propose a little contest... winner gets admission, sound good?" Asked Rias. "Your not suggesting a Rating Game, are you?" Asked Sona. "Duh what?" Asked Anthony. What was a Rating Game? "Oh no, the higher ups would never allow us to do something like that" said Rias. "Exactly my point, you don't wanna draw attention to yourself, especially..." said Sona, but Rias immediately cut her off. "Don't go there" she said, her hands clenching tightly. Anthony noticed this, was Rias ok? "I'm sorry, forgive me Rias" apologized Sona. "It's fine... in any case, why not a few simple games of sports?" Suggested Rias, to which Sona agreed too.

Something normal? Sounded refreshing for Anthony...

-TIME BREAK-

Or it would have been, had the games they did NOT involve the use of magic. Tennis was first, but the rackets they used didn't exactly come with magic-resistance, so it was a tie. The next one was a mini golf tournament, Anthony suggested that one, thinking there was no way they'd mess that up... yet the entire field was destroyed by magic-enhancing their golf balls (don't even get him started on the number of windmills they broke). They even tried basketball... while they didn't destroy anything, it caused a bit of a crowd to form due to the short skirts they girls' wore. The only reason they ended that round was because the gym teacher was trying to get his class going, but his students kept staring at Rias and Sona while they played.

That, and the ball(s) SOMEHOW connected with Anthony's face in each game, each time.

"Red Dragon Emperor? More like Red Dragon Magnet... how the hell do immortals screw up mortal things?" Asked Anthony, to no one in particular while holding an ice pack on his right cheek. He was back in the ORC room, awaiting the next sport Rias and Sona could tackle._** [Good question]**_ said Anthony's inner voice. Kickball, Baseball, Soccer, Bowling... hell, even something as simple as Shuffleboard! No matter what sport the Devils tried, it'd end in a tie and/or disaster. Anthony knew Rias was the competitive type due to her attitude during their game of chess, but... wait... chess... that's it! That was not only a board game, but it was also considered a sport!

Once Rias and Sona were about to suggest a game of archery... aw, hell no!

"Look, Prez! With all due respect, I don't think that's a good idea" Anthony said, getting up quickly and speaking before Rias and Sona started their next contest. "You afraid they'll shoot you in the ass?" Commented Koneko, but Anthony ignored her this time around... though she wasn't wrong either. "What I'm saying is, instead of doing human sports, why not do something your BOTH familiar with?" Asked Anthony, gesturing to the chessboard. Sona liked Anthony's way of thinking, why didn't they think of that before?

"Well, it's not a Rating Game, but I'll take it. It'll be like old times, right Rias?" Sona challenged before Rias could shut Anthony's idea down, and she knew why. While Rias was good, she's never beaten Sona at chess before. Though they'd get stalemates sometimes, it wasn't a win either. Sona took a seat; while Rias looked at the chess board, Kiba, Akeno, Anthony winking, Kone-... huh? Did she see what she just saw? Looking back towards him, Anthony held a confident smirk on his face... Rias understood now, and smiled back.

Sona took her seat on the black side, awaiting her opponent. She was surprised that Anthony sat down instead of Rias. "Excuse me Rias, your Pawn is sitting in your seat" said Sona, adjusting her glasses. "Oh sorry, you didn't know? Anthony here is quite the chess player. In fact, he's beaten me" said Rias, faking innocence. "So, he beat you once? Big..." Saji began, but that's when Koneko rolled out the chalkboard that she never erased. It had the record of Anthony's and Rias'... 'championship match'.

Sitri's house fell silent, a Pawn beating a King? This was unheard of. "... your lying, you probably wrote that earlier today" Saji said in denial. While Sona would have ridiculed her own Pawn, he did have point. Anthony spun the table so the black side was in front of him now. "Why don't you come and find out?" He said with a confident smirk, hoping this King would be as competitive as his own. While a smile, Sona pushed her glasses against her face with her index finger and moved one of her Pawns 2 spaces forward. "Alright... try not to cry when you lose."

_25 turns in..._

Anthony had to admit, Sona was a REAL good player. She took both his Knights, a Bishop, and 5 of his Pawns. He however; took both her Bishops, a Knight, and 6 of her Pawns. Anthony would make a move and Sona would counter it; or whenever Anthony baited her to attack, she didn't most of the time unless she had no other move. Everyone else watched intently, they've never seen such a game before. It was anyone's game at this point.

It was Anthony's turn again, he eyed the board carefully. There was a few moves he could make:

1) He could use his Bishop to take Sona's Rook, though it would leave it open to an attack from her Knight.

2) He could try and move his King just in case of a possible check.

3) His Rook could ram into her Knight without any risks to his other pieces.

4) Move his Queen across the board.

5) His other Rook was in range of her Queen.

6) One of his Pawns may kill one of hers, though a second Sitri Pawn lied behind it in waiting.

Anthony was about to chose the 3rd option when he noticed something... one of his Pawns needed one more space to get a promotion, he could change it into a Queen and turn this around. Going with that, he entered enemy territory and gave his Pawn the aggiornamento it rightly deserved for such bravery.

"Good move, guess you won't be needing this anymore" said Sona, moving her Queen into his original one. Crap! He didn't notice that, but that wasn't the only thing it caused. "Check" said Sona with a smile. How could he have been so careless? Now he had to move his King. Once his King was safe from harm, Sona moved her Queen again, taking his Rook! Anthony moved his Bishop and took her Rook without thinking, but she countered with her Knight. Dammit, 2 mistakes in a row! He moved his King again just in case, but that's when Sona used one of her Pawns to take the one that was by its lonesome.

"What's he doing? Why didn't he just take Sona's Queen?" Kiba whispered to Rias. She had no answer. Anthony's Rook clearly had motive and opportunity to kill Sona's most powerful game piece, but he chose to promote his Pawn instead. It was a good move, but then he took her Rook only for his last Bishop to be trampled by her Knight. Was he slipping? She couldn't blame him if that was the case, Sona had a talent for intimating others despite her proper manners.

_5 turns later..._

It wasn't looking good for Anthony now, he only had 3 pieces left, and Sona was closing in for the kill.

Check, Anthony had to move his King.

Check again, King had to flee the scene.

Check thrice, Anthony needed a miracle to win now. He kept moving his King, while Sona keep backing him into a corner with her much larger army. "FINALLY! Bend him over and screw him, Sona!" Cheered Saji. While Rias wanted to counter that, it really didn't look like Anthony had a chance anymore. Sona put him check again, his King was getting surrounded on all sides... it wouldn't be much longer now. "Checkmate... it was a good game. You have the skills of a pro player, maybe you'll become a High-Class Devil someday" said Sona, moving her Rook near Anthony's King and declaring she had won, but being nice about it. She had to admit, Anthony was skilled in his own right. In fact, there were a few times she thought he had her.

She was about to get up, when Anthony grabbed her arm from across the table. "If I may? May the King make his final move?" Anthony asked. This got everyone thinking WTF. Checkmate means the King has no possible move to evade, AKA Game Over. "You retarded or something? You lost! Let her go!" Yelled Saji. In this instance, Sona would have agreed with her Pawn for once... but it seemed Anthony was being a good sport. While the request was odd, she certainly wouldn't deny him. "Calm yourself, Saji" she said, sitting back down. "Odd request, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt" she said, thinking no harm no foul.

Anthony went to move his King one final time, his hand hovered over it...

...

...

...

Then he reached over, what was he doing?

...

...

...

He slid his Pawn over and ran over Sona's King, who had no defense against it.

"Yup, he's retarded" said Saji. "No... that Pawn... was promoted" stuttered Sona's assistant, who also wore glasses. The room fell silent. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop a mile away... hell, you'd be able to hear a speck of dust land on a piece of furniture; and STILL hear the pin! "Gioco. Finito" Anthony said, smiling. Sona was stunned, she looked all around the board for an answer, even though it was right in front of her. "But... but that's impossible!" She said, in denial. She couldn't believe it! How... how did he manage to pull that off?!

"Confused?" Asked Anthony, resetting the pieces back to the way they were... when Anthony first promoted his Pawn. "You had a strong defense, you kept your Rook in front of your King, preventing me from attacking it. You haven't moved it an inch since you put it there. So I had to lure you out by _*air-quotes*_ accidentally missing the chance to take your Queen out for Pranzo, then made some risky plays here and there to draw you in. Once I moved my King back far enough, you had no choice but to move your Rook... and the rest is history" said Anthony, explaining what he did. While the ORC was ecstatic, they held it in due to overwhelming surprise; Rias especially. It was a risky plan Anthony executed, but effective. Seeing that he could promote his Pawn, he DELIBERATELY backed himself into a corner to get Sona to lower her guard... it was brilliant!

"Word of advice: Checkmate, doesn't mean Game Over" said Anthony, getting up and sitting on he sofa, while Sona still tried to grasp what had just happened. Rias couldn't deny she loved seeing the look of shock on Sona's face.

-TIME BREAK-

One week and one teleportation via magic circle later, the ORC arrived in a dark area. "Ya sure this is the place? Looks like my Nana's basement" said Anthony, whether he was joking or not was unknown. "Yup. This is were all the Familiar's live" said Akeno. "Hmm, guess that explains why she never came upstairs" Anthony said. Again, unknown if he was joking. "WHO HAS CALLED UPON ME? I'M THE FAMILIAR MASTER, ZATOUJI!" Yelled an elderly voice from the trees. Looking up; the ORC saw a man in a white T-Shirt and shorts wearing a backpack and a hat on backwards. "Who the Cazzo is that? The Bug Catcher from the Pokemon games?" Asked Anthony, unsure what to make of this newcomer.

"Bug Catcher? Me? Your a funny man, I see! You've come for Familiars, have you not? Stick with me, you'll get some faster than a speeding yacht! Just be sure to stay by my side, for I'll be the one to act as your guide!" Said Zatouji. "I think he's read 10 too many Doctor Seuss books" Anthony sweatdropped. "So, how can I help the Gremory families desires? Would you like a Strong Familiar or one that likes to set fires?" Asked Zatouji. "How about one that mutes crazy, old men out in the woods?" Anthony asked. He had a large amount of patience, but something about this guy drained it pretty quickly.

"Humph. Silly little boy, Familiars here and not your little play toys. Instead of trying to look for one that mutes... actually, I'll skip to your friend, she's pretty cute" said Zatouji, pointing to Asia who was hugging Anthony's arm. "Yeah, you just couldn't think of a rhyme for mute" muttered Anthony. "Oh... well, do you have any that are kind and fun?" Asked Asia. "Kind and fun? That's easy, done and done!" said Zatouji, smiling at Asia. "Oh, thank you, sir" said Asia, cheerfully. "Signore, aiutami" Anthony muttered, holding a flat palm to his face.

-TIME BREAK-

Leading the group through the forest, the old man suddenly stopped. "Oh my... look, up high!" He said, pointing upwards to a small creature. It appeared to be a blue baby dragon of some kind. "Oh cool, a dragon" said Anthony. He also had to admit, it was cute. "Aw! It's so pretty!" Said Asia. "Pretty, but dangerous too. When angered, Sprite Dragons blow lightning of blue" said Zatouji. "I've never seen one before, is it rare?" Asked Kiba. "Yes, I think so. This is the first time I've seen one" said Rias. "If you want it, now's your chance to claim; for once they get older, they can no longer be tamed" warned Zatouji. "Hey, Anthony? Since you posses a Dragon's power, this one sounds perfect for you" said Akeno.

"Ya think so?" Anthony asked, looking up at the baby dragon. It did make sense, since he already had a dragon, it wouldn't hurt to have another. "HA! Good luck with that. Those dragon hate males, that's just a fact" said Zatouji. "Oh really?" Anthony asked, eyeing the little dragon. "I actually have a way with animals, just watch me tame..." He started saying, but then heard Asia scream. Looking at her to see what was the matter, a foreign substance fell on this face. He yanked it off with a bit of effort. "The hell? Did Flubber have kids or what?" He asked, looking up from pulling the goo off of him...

And was met by a sight he'll never forget.

This goo fell from the trees above them, and it began to eat at the clothes... of the girls. "Ewwwwww!" Said Asia. "What is this stuff?" Asked Rias. Kiba began slicing some of the goo with his sword. "It's some kind of green sli- GAH!" He said, but some got caught on his face. "Oh my! Its burning my clothes! How naughty! It's making me slimy and wet" said Akeno. "Stop staring and help us, pervert!" Said Koneko, referring to Anthony. Not wanting to let this thing eat away at more of the girls clothes (which he couldn't help but think about for a second), he summoned his Boosted Gear.

**[BOOST!]**

Thinking one boost would be enough, Anthony aimed at Rias first... but then stopped because then he realized he might end up hurting her (that, and it was oddly sexy seeing a girls clothes slowly dissolve, not that he'll admit that out loud). "What are you doing? Come on, blast this stuff off!" Rias ordered. "I... I... I can't" said Anthony, then noticed how wrong that sounded. "Figures the perv would want this thing as a Familiar" commented Koneko before Anthony could explain himself. "WHY WOULD I WANT A DAMN SYMBIOTE SPAWN AS A FAMILIAR?!" Anthony yelled. "I will admit, the slime is fine. But in the end, its a total waste of time" said Zatouji, who had his eyes covered by the slime. "IF YOU PULL ANOTHER MOTHER GOOSE, I"M WRAPPING YOUR HEAD AROUND A NOOSE!" Yelled Anthony, pointing at the man with his Boosted Geared finger, having enough with Zatouji's speech patterns.

"I can't use my magic like this, hurry up and torch this slime!" Rias ordered again, the slime having wrapped her hands and blocking her use of magic. "The pain... it hurts so good, I might have to fight Anthony for it" said Akeno, moaning in pain/pleasure with the slime tightening its grip around her body. "I DON'T WANT THE DAMN BAVA!" Yelled Anthony, trying to make it perfectly clear he had no intention of making this thing a Familiar. "Then get rid of this, NOW!" Rias said, also moaning due to the stimulation in... certain areas. "I will, but... your gonna get hurt! I don't wanna blast you" said Anthony. While it sounded dirty, it was the only way he could describe what he was feeling.

"You'd definitely WANT to blast off at her, don't you?" Asked Koneko. Anthony would have defended his position, but now wasn't a good time. "I... I..." Anthony tried to say, but the words got caught in his throat for 2 reasons:

1) He honestly had no idea what else he could do, he refused to harm one of his friends.

2) The only thing left on the girls was their undies'... but even those were quickly vanishing.

"ANTHONY! BLAST ME! THAT'S AN ORDER!" Screamed/Moaned Rias. "ARRRRRRRRRRGH! SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" He said and with that, he shot an energy blast at Rias, the girl screaming in pain... it might have also been pleasure, but Anthony didn't want to think about that any further. Once the energy shot stopped, Rias was now safe... completely naked, and on the ground, but safe. "RIAS! Rias, you ok?" Asked Anthony, running over to her and holding her. "... I... I'm fine" she said. "I'm real sorry. I might have pumped too much at ya" he said. Looking over her, she was now cleaned of slime. "Don't lie... you enjoyed that, didn't you?" Rias asked, jokingly. Well, at lest she was feeling better. "Eh... maybe a little" Anthony joked back.

Drip...

MORE SLIME?! "MI STA PRENDENDO IN GIRO!" Anthony said, flicking off the small drip off Rias' skin. However, he had 3 more victims to tend too...

ZAP!

A streak of blue lightning shot from above, destroying the speck Anthony had flicked off. It wasn't from Akeno, but from the baby dragon! "Oh, thanks little guy" said Anthony, but the baby dragon gave no answer as it couldn't talk. It landed on Anthony's head, then zapped at the slime around Asia, saving her as well (how she went unaffected by the lightning was unknown to Anthony, but didn't question it). Akeno then destroyed the slime covering her with her own lightning, and Koneko threw hers off while Kiba sliced it into bits. Rias also used her Destruction magic to burn it to ashes for good measure.

"I can't believe my eyes, a Sprite Dragon defending a male? This is unheard of, its almost like a fairy tale" said Zatouji. Anthony facepalmed and growled. "Like I said, guess I'm unique" said Anthony, petting the dragon on his head. It gave a cat-like purr in response. "They also don't attack unless they believe a loved one's in trouble, guess that means they should be bound on the double!" Rhymed Zatouji. Glaring at him, Anthony was about to go off on the man...

ZAP!

But his new friend did it for him. As Zatouji fell to the ground, sparking; Anthony smiled and raised his hand saying: "Trovato mio."

"Well... this is sweet... let's hurry up and bound them, so you can lea-" Zatouji began to rhyme again, but Anthony's Sprite Dragon glared at him and growled. "... ahem... go home" the Familiar Master sweatdropped, not wanting to anger the Sprite Dragon any further... he needed a vacation after today. As the Familiar Master used some kind of magic, Asia went over and pet Anthony's new friend. The Italian also saw the look in her eyes... she wanted this one... "Alright. Place your Familiar in this magic square. Once you do that, it is under your care."

ZAP!

Zatouji had to duck to avoid that bolt of blue lightning... the tree behind him wasn't so lucky. "Alright, little guy, on the magic shape please" Anthony requested, the little dragon obeyed without question. "One thing you should know, read this" said Rias, now in fresh clothes and handing Anthony a small piece of paper. "... you serious? I HAVE to say THIS?" Asked Anthony, reading the note. "It's how the spell works" Rias smiled. Anthony facepalmed and groaned, with his about-to-be Familiar synchronizing his moments. "Ugh, lets get this over with..." Anthony sighed. As he approached his Familiar-to-be, he noticed while Asia looked happy, he could tell she also sad. "Hey, before we start, is it possible to bond a Familiar to multiple people?" Anthony asked Rias, making Asia look up.

"Why do you ask?" Asked Rias, curious as to why Anthony would ask such a question. "Just curious" shrugged Anthony. Rias could tell there was another reason, but let it slide. "It'll require more power but, yes; it's possible" she said. Hearing this, Anthony summoned his Gear for a second time.

**[BOOST!]**

"Good thing this comes as a package deal" said Anthony, looking at his glowing Gear. Asia just looked at him, was he really...?

**[BOOST!]**

"There's no reason to divide ownership of your Familiar, its very peculiar" said Zatouji. The only reason he felt safe to rhyme was because the tiny dragon was enclosed in magic, didn't stop Anthony from shooting an unamused glare. "... your lucky I'm boosting right now, otherwise I'd knock your ass from here to Moscow."

**[BOOST!]**

Thinking 3 times was enough, Anthony turned back to his pet-to-be. "Ok... ahem. _*takes a deep breath, and reads whats on the paper Rias gave him*_ In the name of Anthony Messuri and Devils everywhere, I ask you to accept this pact and be my Familiar forever" Anthony said, but then added something of his own to the spell. "One more favor I'll ask of you also, is the be bound to me... and Asia Argento." That last line made Asia's jaw drop, did she really just hear that? The glow of the magic subsided, the Sprite Dragon looked up, and jumped into Anthony's arms. "Ok, go to Auntie Asia" said Anthony, which the newly made familiar did, purring as it nuzzled against Asia's chest. It took a few seconds for Asia to register what just happened, but she was incredibly happy.

"Looks like Anthony and his girlfriend Asia had a lovechild" Akeno said. "Yup, and ours alone" Anthony said, joining Akeno's joke, though this made Asia redden which he didn't get to see. "Ya know, they say Sprite Dragons' only accept those with pure hearts... maybe Anthony and Asia's childhood at the church has something to do with it?" Suggested Rias. "Who knows? Or maybe Anthony's manliness had some sway over the little guy?" Suggested Akeno, looking for a reaction from Rias. It had the desired effect, as her King ever so slightly twitched.

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Cagnolino:** means "lapdog"

2) **Aggiornamento: **means "upgrade"

3) **Gioco Finito:** means "game over"

4) **Pranzo:** means "dinner" (**AN:** It's actually rare to hear it this way. It's more commonly said as **Cena **or **Desinare**)

5) **Signore Aiutami:** means "lord help me"

6) **Bava:** means "slime"

7) **Mi Sta Prendendo In Giro:** means "you've gotta be kidding me"

8) **Trovato Mio:** means "found mine"


	10. Chapter 10

1) **Omnisaurus: **Glad you enjoyed the chapter, you and several others also liked the Saji-Slap and Anthony back-rhyming with the Familar Master.

2) **Ace: **LOL, yes you have said Rias liked Japanese culture before. Being hungry can make you forgetful... why do you think Italians eat/feed you so much? :p For battle scenes, I guess the music they use in the anime. Also glad your enjoying the Dictionary, good to know some people appreciate it.

3) **Guest: **Thanks for the kind words about the chess match between Anthony and Sona. I was a little worried no one would like or approve of it.

4) **R****marcano321: **Not that I don't appreciate the reviews your giving, but do you mind putting a little more effort into them? By that, I mean don't just look for one thing to say or pick a tiny detail to quote about. A review like "Devils are everywhere" or "Anthony's exercising allot" doesn't exactly help me improve, nor is it necessary for new readers to see. It's your review, so you have the right to comment about the story how you want, but do take this into consideration from the authors perspective (me) to an audience member (you).

I thank everyone for the love and support for this fic, keeps me going. I think you'll all enjoy this chapter; its extremely fluffy, I think you might die.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Strange Dreams, Stranger Life**

When did this happen? How did it happen? More importantly, WHY was it happening?! Anthony was dressed in a nice tuxedo, standing by the Perverted Duo who wore something similar. They were crying, though it wasn't clear if they were tears of joy or sorrow. "It's not fair, yo!" Cried Matsuda. "How did he get a wedding before us?" Cried Motohama. "Wedding? Whose getting...?" Anthony asked aloud, but suddenly the scene around him changed into an altar. Standing before him was a bride, holding a banquet of flowers, though her face was covered. "Silly boy, it's OURS" said the bride, lifting up the fabric covering her face...

"Rias?! W-W-Who decided this, shouldn't I have gotten notified? Maybe an E-Mail or some shit?" Anthony asked, becoming nervous. He then heard the voices of the other ORC members in the crowd of people stilling around the church... didn't Devils get hurt in the presence of God?

Akeno's Voice: "So happy for you, Rias!"

Asia's Voice: "Um... have a good life... I guess..."

Koneko's Voice: "Don't go too crazy later tonight..."

Pesca's Voice (where did she come from?): "Treat her right, or I'll kill you!"

_'Are they serious? I'm MARRYING HER?!... well, it could be worse'_ thought Anthony. As nervous as he was, he couldn't deny that Rias looked amazing in her wedding gown. She was attractive regardless, but something about the gown made her beauty radiate exponentially. "You may kiss the bride" said the priest. Rias turned to Anthony with her eyes closed and lips puckered, red lipstick glossed over them, waiting for the man of her dreams to seal the deal. Not that Anthony didn't want to kiss her, she looked gorgeous!... He just couldn't find the strength to move.

Then everyone burned around him, though no one seemed to give a shit, leaving Anthony alone and stumped in the church. "... match made in hell, alright" he said. **[Ugh... sorry about that, my last master was a total perv and some of his cooties rubbed off on me]** said a deep voice from everywhere. The church suddenly collapsed on itself, and Anthony was met face-to-face with... "Rassei? Damn, sei cresciuto velocemente" said Anthony, the figure in front of him was a dragon. Rassei was the name Asia gave their new Familiar they shared, did he grow up already? It's only been a few days since they left the Familiar Forest.

**[Oh, please; THAT little hatchling? ME?! Come on, Anthony; you know exactly who I am] **said the dragon. Getting a better look at the giant dragon in front of him, "... useless your an Archfiend owned by some guy named Jack, doesn't ring a bell" he answered. Without warning, fire began to swirl around the duo while Anthony was now floating in midair somehow.** [Your _real_ funny. I've been living inside of you since your were ya big, you've also summoned my plenty of times in the past]** said the dragon, also pinching his claws together to visualize his point. "Wha... what are you talking about? I don't understand!" Said Anthony. **[Sigh... look at your hand]** face-clawed the dragon. Anthony did, still not understanding... the hell?! When did he take his Scared Gear out?! **[Now... look at mine] **the dragon continued, bringing his much larger arm closer to Anthony. Side-by-side, with the exception of the green gem in the center and that obvious size difference, the 2 arms looked exactly identical.

Anthony slowly began to realize what, or rather who, was in front of him now... being introduced to the supernatural world, not much surprised him anymore. But he finally understood who this was. "Wait... are you... the Red Dragon Emperor?" He asked, not completely believing the words coming out of his mouth. **[Now your getting it! Name's Ddraig, the Heavenly Dragon of Domination, the Red Dragon Emperor... and, your partner]** said the dragon, revealing it's name to be Ddraig. "Ddraig? I thought you were from another dimension, ya know; after cards started raining..." said Anthony.** [THAT GUY IS AN ALIEN, YOU FOOL! And don't EVER compare me to him again, he wishes he had such power as mine]** Roared Ddraig.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Anthony's eyes snapped open, his alarm waking him up. "More weird dreams? I didn't eat raviolis this time..." said Anthony, then he noticed his Gear was out. Was that all really a dream?** [No] **said Ddraig, making his presence known, causing Anthony to jump out of the bed and onto the floor, hitting his head on the title. **[Oh. Sorry, my bad. I thought you were aware of me]** apologized the dragon within. "Dammi un avvertimento la prossima volta when you decide to jump in my head" Anthony groaned, rubbing his head in pain.

-TIME BREAK-

The next morning in class before school started, Anthony was sitting at his desk, yawning up a storm. "Dude, that's like the 15th time you yawned. You tired or something?" Asked Matsuda, walking over with Motohama to their friends desk. "Yeah, a little. _*Yawns again*_ Had this crazy dream last night and couldn't get back to sleep" Anthony admitted. Upon hearing this, both boys went into their perv state of minds. "If you had ANY wet dream; Page 12, subsection 5 of the bro code states you give up ALL the details" said Motohama, adjusting his glasses. "No, but it was definitely hot" said Anthony.

"Oh, that's why you didn't make breakfast this morning. Why didn't you tell me or Rias?" Asked Asia, sweetly. "It was no big deal. Besides, you came in to wake me, so it's all good" Anthony smiled at Asia's kindness... though also thankful that the 2 pervs didn't pick up on the fact that Rias was staying with him too. Now that the class gotten to know Asia, they learned Anthony knew her at a young age... basically home field advantage, so they learned to accept that Asia was like a sister to Anthony... didn't mean they still weren't jealous he was still living with such a cute girl.

"WHAT!" The Perverted Duo slammed Anthony's desk at this piece of information. "Your wake up call is HER?!" Asked Motohama, both he and Matsuda looked like they'd cry. Anthony decide what better way to start his day, than mess with his 2 "best" friends? "Well, we do live together, and I've known her since scuola elementare... plus, we're in each others rooms everyday" Anthony said casually, then smirked when he got to the room part. Matsuda and Motohama both jaw-dropped at the confession. They didn't speak Italian, but the word elementare gave them a good idea.

"He's only kidding, guys" said Asia, making both boys sigh in relief...

"I'm usually the one who bunks with him" the ex-nun continued innocently; making both boys scream, cry and fall to the floor in sorrow. "Why... why does he get served breakfast in bed?" Asked Matsuda. "She's got mean French Toast" Anthony joked. "Oh, stop; you'll make me blush" said Asia, shyly. This made the Perverted Duo cry even more. "Why do all the hot girls throw themselves at this guy?" Asked Motohama. "It makes no sense, yo" said Matsuda. "What can I say? Ladies love a good stallion" Anthony shrugged. Asia giggled, mostly cause she had no idea what the phrase really meant, while the 2 perverts cried for the third time.

"Say, Anthony; my good man... you should really think about spreading the waffle... hook us up, maybe? OH GREAT MASTER ANTONIO, PLEASE HONOR US UNWORTHY FOLK WITH THE SECRETS OF YOUR POWER!" Said Motohama, slapping his hands together and praying to Anthony, which Matsuda copied. "Hmmmm... I don't know... they have needs, ya know" said Anthony, having fun rubbing his luck in their faces. "You'll be rewarded handsomely, how's membership to the... VIP room sound?" Asked Motohama. Hearing the offer, Anthony eyed the boys. He knew what "VIP" room they spoke of. "... nah, I'll pass. You both go without me, and I'll spread the word" he said, denying the offer.

Both perverts froze. "Wait, seriously?" Asked Matsuda. "As long as don't get caught, I'll personally hook you up" Anthony promised. Both boys then held each others hands like a game of patty-cake. "Jackpot! Thank you, sensei! We will not let you down!" Motohama said, both boys heading to their seats since class was gonna start soon. Anthony knew exactly where they'd be going, his fingers crossed behind his back.

He told Koneko what locker they'd be hiding in the girls locker room... too bad he missed the show, he heard their cries of joy all the way down the hall. "What was that?" Asked Asia, taking her lunch out while sitting with Anthony. His response was to shrug and: "Hmm? Non ho sentito niente" then take a bite out of his sandwich.

-TIME BREAK-

"I don't like it when you get all flirty with Rias."

"She started it! I had too restituire fuoco!"

"She brought up you saw her naked... sacco..."

"Well... she saved my life and... GAH!"

"AND YOU SAID IT WASN'T BORING!"

"STOP! ASIA, MY CHEEK! OW, QUIT PULLING...!"

The ORC was dismissed by Rias, as she watched her servants (except Akeno, who was still with her) exit the premises from the window. Before they left, she made a comment on how Anthony has seen her naked multiple times, then Anthony countered with she clearly liked her what she saw since she kept returning to the scene of the crime. Asia became jealo-... ahem, insecure about it; and was now pinching Anthony's cheek rather hard while they walked home.

"Ya know, our clients give positive reviews on Anthony all the time. It's funny, when you consider they all say _thanks for sending this Devil_ or _where was this Devil all my life?_" Said Akeno, reading a few reviews she had on Anthony. However, Rias didn't seem to hear her since she was focused on looking out the window as Anthony left, which Akeno noticed as she turned around to ask Rias if she heard her. "Wow, your certainly mesmerized when it comes to Anthony, huh? Sure your still not checking him out?" Akeno asked with a smile.

"Is there a point your trying to make?" Asked Rias. "No, I just think your commitment to him is... interesting. You were never like this when Kiba or Koneko were brought around. Could there beeeeee... more too i-..." Akeno pointed out, but Rias cut her off. "Simple. I'm his master and he's my servant, Devil or not. Besides, its not my best friends place to worry about me, it's my problem" she said, assertively. "Yes, President. May I be excused?" Said Akeno, knowing there was something Rias wasn't sharing but wasn't gotta question her... she already had enough on her mind.

"You may. I'll see you tomorrow" said Rias. As soon as Akeno left, a magic circle formed on the floor... Rias' eyes narrowed at whom she saw.

-TIME BREAK-

Back at Anthony's house, he walked out of his room in nothing but loose gym shorts while carrying fresh clothes, on his way to the shower. He should have taken one sooner, but he just laid in bed thinking about his introduction to Ddraig. He said something about summoning him before, but Anthony never used his Sacred Gear before meeting Rias and the other Devils... right? Thinking a nice, hot shower would help, he opens the bathroom door without knocking...

And Asia was already in there, buck naked; though he didn't noticed she was in there at first because he wasn't paying attention due to still thinking about the dragon dwelling inside him. He only noticed Asia as he was pulling his underwear off... and seeing Asia's red face. The blond WANTED to say something when Anthony walked in, but for the love of her... the words didn't come out of her open mouth... she just couldn't look away as Anthony was stripping down for her. Honestly, she thought she was dreaming... but didn't want to wake up.

Likewise, Anthony was also speechless. How the hell could he do that to her? What was he thinking? This is why people need to learn to start knocking again! "SSSSSSSSONO COSÌ DISPIACIUTO! NNNNNNNON HO SAPEVATO... UTILIZZO 'SOLO L'ALTRO..." Anthony said, pulling his stuff back up and exiting the bathroom to use another one, but Asia grabbed his arm before he could make it out the door.

"Asia...?" Anthony asked, unsure why she grabbed him. Was she mad? "L... Listen... I-I-I didn't realize you were in here, I should've knocked first. I'm really sorry" he apologized. "N-No, i-i-it's ok. I should have... locked the door... or something. Your probably still tried from today... right?" Said Asia, also apologizing and making Anthony an excuse, yet still didn't let go. "Um... yeah... you can say that" he said, not willing to argue. What he WANTED to do was get out of his awkward situation. "Well then... should we... make the most of it?" Asked Asia, blushing furiously as the words left her mouth.

"Make... the most, of it?" Anthony's voice cracked. Did he REALLY just hear that... from Asia... fricking ASIA of all people! "I'm uh... not sure what ya mean" he said, playing dumb. "I heard it at school... taking a bath together, could bring people closer..." said Asia. "Oh really, from my friends?" Anthony asked. He was nervous now, but when gets his hands on those two... "Actually, from mine" Asia admitted. _'Of course you did' _Anthony mentally groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose, voice still cracked even in his head.

"They said... during a bath... you understand the person better, by interacting with them" said Asia. **_[I don't think she fully understands what interactions are in this instance]_** said Ddraig, having woken up by a... disturbance in the force._ 'I hope not. What does she want to understand anyway? If I'm a shower or grower?' _Thought Anthony, not wanting anymore 'interactions'. While Asia was a beautiful girl with a pretty face, a cute personality and a nice figure; it still felt awkward to Anthony due to their prior relationship... and she used to be a nun._** [Actually, your a bit of both]**_ answered Ddraig._ 'Shut up, Drago'_ thought Anthony, not looking for an answer.

Smoosh.

Softness... against his back. Was this... "Anthony... do you remember... what I said... before I died?" Asia asked. "Uh... Yeah, of course. You said... you loved being with me and..." Anthony said, but felt Asia press more into him, hugging him tighter. She had to admit, getting her breasts squeezed like this felt oddly good. "Yes... I just, want to understand you more... on a deeper level" said Asia. Anthony felt like the room was heating up... and the water wasn't even running yet! **_[Blond and busty... not a bad combo]_ **said Ddraig._ 'So... as my partner, mind helping me out?'_ thought Anthony. **_[What do you want me to do, roar? That's not gonna help anyone]_** said Ddraig. _'No, but it's something.'_

"Anthony? Are you up here? I finished watering your basil plants and..." said Pesca, hearing a voice upstairs. All she saw was Asia against Anthony's back, the poor boys face looking like it was thrown in a thousand degree oven. "Oh... I'm sorry... I didn't realize you were both... having a moment..." Pesca said. The reason she was here was because she'd normally come over Anthony's house with a spare key and water the plants he used for cooking while he was at school or out at work... she didn't expect to see HIS plant about to get watered. "Pesca... this is totally not what it looks like..." said Anthony, struggling to retain his reason. Looks like he had to explain himself to his adult neighbor... yet again...

(**AN:** Very common stereotype is Italians grow their own herbs because we're too cheap to buy them at stores... also very true.)

-TIME BREAK-

After calming down and getting Pesca to leave, Anthony just laid in his bed. Asia loved him, like love LOVE him? Seemed to be an odd time for a confession... but there was no way she was SERIOUSLY in love with him, maybe she just meant that she loved him very much? Yup. That was totally it. As he was thinking this, a red magic circle opened on the floor and with a flash, "Rias? Oh, your finally home... hey, you ok?" Asked Anthony, seeing Rias wear an expression she's never used before.

She was serious, yet her eyes held fear. "Anthony... I need your help" she said. Something felt off the way she asked him, what was wrong with her? "Um... ok, sure. What'cha need, I'll do any-" Anthony said, but that's when Rias jumped on top of him. Literally, on TOP of him, her hair dangling down them both. "Anthony! I need you to take my virginity!" Said Rias, no fear or hesitation. Anthony's eyes widened a little, but then realized who he was dealing with. "Heh. Yeah, Yeah; nice try. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on..."

She then kissed him, a full on lip-lock. Anthony's eyes widened in surprise like a UFO, where did THIS come from?! He just lied their in shock, trying to process what was happening. Parting from him, she then said: "I'm serious, Anthony! Take me!"

"S-Scusami?" He asked, not sure if he heard correctly since his mind was still fuzzy from the kiss. Rias didn't even look insulted, just confused. "What? Am I not good enough? You don't like any of this?" She asked, unbuttoning her top and exposing her bra. That kinda was the problem. After the accident with Asia that was not even 5 minutes ago, Anthony barely had any self-control left. Rias was an extremely attractive young woman, there was no mortal (and he was sure, no immortal) could possibly deny her.

Still, what was he supposed to say? Was this the time to say yes and go deep in, or the time to say no and try again another day. "Once he hears I'm damaged goods, he'll never bother me again. I've given this allot of thought, this is the only way" said Rias, her eyes showing she had reached the end of her rope. "Damaged! What asshole would think your... wait, he? He who?" Asked Anthony, trying to understand what's going on with the little information he was given. But that's when Rias took off her bra, releasing the 2 bags of flesh housed in as they dangled inches from Anthony's face.

"Your a virgin too, right?" Asked Rias. While she revealed she was a virgin when she saved Anthony, she didn't know if the he was one too. "W-W-Why? Ya know, this is all kinda sudden..." said Anthony, trying to keep his eyes glued to Rias', though it was a little difficult when her 'other pair' was bobbing around. "You too, huh? Guess neither of us have much experience, but we'll figure something out" said Rias, getting closer to Anthony so she could reach behind and take off her lower clothing. While Rias' eyes were beautiful, they now held something else... desperation and sadness. Who was this guy Rias spoke about, and what was it about him that made her wanna throw herself at Anthony like a $5 puttana?

"I'm ready. Just... be gentle... ok?" Said Rias, placing his hand on one of her breasts. It sent a surge of pleasure that Rias never had before when she touched herself and/or while she showered. Anthony's mind drew blanks, he had no idea... well, he had ONE idea what he could... no. No, no, no and NO! His mama's spirit would hunt him down if he did. When he made no moves, "Come on! Are you rejecting...?" Rias asked him, but that's when he shot up and hugged her tightly. With the little willpower he had remaining, he ignored the softness on his chest.

Rias didn't understand, why wasn't Anthony taking her? All men were the same, just like... then it hit her. The warmth the hug Anthony was giving her... the same when she saved him. She realized what she was doing, how could she do this to him? She lied when she said she gave this allot thought, she did it last minute! Thinking he would finally leave her alone and she could be free, but didn't count on Anthony resisting as much as he did. But still, she had to get rid of...

"Rias..." Anthony said in a low tone, his head resting on her shoulder, making Rias snap to his attention. "... if this is really what you want, I won't deny you. Your a very, VERY sexy woman; and it's taking every part of me to not push you down on this bed right now... but there's something else driving you, isn't there?" He asked. Rias gasped slightly and began to tear up a little. "It's ok... I understand. You don't really want to do this... believe me, I know" he said, bringing Rias's eyes into his own.

She was able to see herself reflected off on them, what had she become? She also saw compassion, understanding, warmth... and so much more in Anthony's eyes. Tears began slowly falling down the sides of her face, and she hugged him again, now crying into his shoulder. Anthony just held her tight, letting her take out all the emotions she bottled up. "Anthony... I'm sorry... thank you" she thanked him while tears still streamed down her face, but she wasn't out of the woods yet.

Pulling her back into his field of vision, and caressing her cheek while wipe some tears with his thumb, Anthony looked directly into her eyes. Rias felt that his touch was so soothing, and the eye contact refreshing. A boy looking at her, for her, and not what she's got... it made her feel better. "Rias... tell me what's wrong."

* * *

Now, I know Ddraig's reveal might not make much sense at the moment, so let me explain. He is going to be the Perverted Sub for Issei. And I know your probably thinking: **_What the cazzo? This isn't right!_** Yes, I understand that, but he's not a total perv in this version, he will just have very rare and very minor moments of perversion. Other than that, his role remains unchanged. Just like with Sona's chess match, I wanted to do something original. Regardless, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll cya in the next one!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Sei Cresciuto Velocemente: **means "you grew up fast"

2) **Dammi Un Avvertimento La Prossima Volta:** means "at least give me a warning next time"

3) **Scuola Elementare:** means "grade/elementary school"

4) **Non Ho Sentito Niente:** means "I didn't hear anything"

5) **Restituire Fuoco:** means "return fire"

6) **Sacco: **means "allot"

7) **Sono Così Dispiaciuto! Non Lo Sapevo. Userò Solo l'altro: **means "I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I'll just use the other"

8) **Scusami:** means "excuse me"


	11. Chapter 11

**Ace:** Oh, Xenovia will be something special since Anthony and her are both Italian, trust me on this. As for Rossweisse, I have plans but instead of telling and spoiling, we'll deal with that Valkyrie when we get to her. For now, let's stick to... birdwatching.

**Rmarcano321:** You'll learn more as you read.

**MizoreShirayukiFan:** Glad you think so. While I'm clearly not the first writer to make a still-human-protagonist-in-DxD, none of the fics I read involved a certain nationality of person. Usually, it would be Issei or an OC, but that's as far as it went. So I figured; why not give Anthony a little more character, maybe a bit of language lesson? Thus, **The Italian Dragon Emperor** was born!

**Ioloroso019: **The reason Rassei doesn't hate Anthony is because, like Asia, had history in the church (while its not confirmed in canon, it's heavily implied). He also has a way with animals as he's already admitted, as this will also play a role in how Anthony will bond with Koneko when we get to her big reveal as a Yokai. That, and I wanted to take an original spin in the Familiar Forest episode. Glad your enjoying the story.

One thing before we begin, despite what I said above, I'm not sure if I'll start a sequel to this series. As fun as it is to write and read your opinions on it, I'm not sure it currently has potential for a continuation. With only a fanbase of 25 favs/27 follows (at the time of posting this), I don't see a point. The view counts pretty good with 3,362 hits and counting, but not many people are reading or talking about it, so why make a product that no ones gonna buy? You'll end up wasting time and money.

Should views increase and the fanbase grows, maybe I'll have a different opinion but as of right now... I just don't know. For now, let's enjoy the fic and more Italian words/phrases/stereotypes I can teach you. I truly want to continue but in order to do that, I'm gonna need everyone to pinch in. Spread the word, share the fic and who knows? But enough about that, let's get to the moment everyone was waiting for... Riser's debut, and its something special, I promise.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Phenex Appears**

The next morning in the ORC clubhouse, Rias was dealing with someone calling herself Grayfia Lucifuge, her sister-in-law. This wasn't a big surprise to Anthony, as Rias had told him everything last night about what was bothering her... everything. Suddenly, a magic circle opened, unannounced. Unlike most magic circles, this one burst into flames, which caused Anthony to reel back a bit. It kinda reminded him of the same fire that changed his life forever. In the center of it, was a man with blond hair that looked slightly older than a high school student. He wore a burgundy blazer with matching pants and black dress shoes... and while Anthony wasn't gay, even he had to admit this newcomer was devilishly handsome.

"My soon-to-be Rias Gremory. Your beloved Riser has arriv-..."

BLAM!

The man had such an arrogant tone of voice, it set Anthony off immediately, the Italian firing a beam of energy that the man had to duck to avoid. "So... your the feather-faced nitwit that's forcing Rias into marriage?" Growled Anthony. As previously stated, Rias came clean last night and told Anthony the truth... and he wasn't happy about it, if the beam of Dragonic energy wasn't clear enough.

Riser, controlling his temper, choose to both ignore Anthony and his outburst. "And who is this? A servant of... hold on, he's a human! What is a worthless mortal doing in the..." Riser said, but was cut off by the sound of** [BOOST!]** and another one of Anthony's Dragon Shots, which he avoided again. "I'm also the Red Dragon, in case you burned this mornings newspaper" said Anthony. Now Riser lost his cool and built up a flame ball in his hand. "HOW DARE YOU...!" He yelled, about to throw the attack at Anthony's head. "Riser... in case you've forgotten, this is MY house. Now stand down, or I'll have to kindly ask you to leave" said Rias, firmly.

Not wanting to ruin the relationship with his future wife, Riser did just that. "Forgive me, my beloved. But keep your little human pet in line" he said. With another** [BOOST!]**, Anthony held out his arm. "Call her amate one more time... ti sfido" Anthony hissed. "You too, Anthony" Rias said sternly. Though the look in her eyes told Anthony thank you, her facial expression asked him to calm down. Having no choice, Anthony deactivated his Gear... he didn't apologize, however.

Minutes later, Riser and Rias sat next to each other on one of the sofas. Anthony really... REALLY wanted to blast this guy in the face. Not only did he had the nerve to play with Rias' hair, but rub her thighs! Koneko was the one to hold Anthony back, but even she had to admit the 'Italian perv' was a nice guy. She could see the veins popping out on his neck as Riser did what whatever he wanted to Rias. "Your Queen makes excellent tea, my dear. Would you pour Riser another cup?" Riser asked Akeno for another cup of tea, which she bowed and started to do... Anthony then got an idea, smirking.

Though he had to ignore the exchange between both Devils.

**Rias:** Stop. _(stands up off the couch, not facing her 'husband')_ Riser, I have no intention of marrying you, or is that too much for your brain to understand?

**Anthony:** _(walks over to where Akeno's pouring tea)_ *At'ta, girl Rias!*

**Riser:** Rias... my love... Riser and your family both agree you can't afford to be so selfish.

**Anthony:** _(growls)_ *SHE'S EGOISTA?* _(Riser's last line almost got Anthony to flip out, but he remained in control, especially with what he was about to do)_

**Rias:** I won't bring ruin to my family! Its not my place to deny you a right to the Gremory family... however, my husband will be my choice, and MY choice alone!

**Riser:** You do realize we are still recovering from the last war, so it's important for your husband to be pure-blooded and not some reincarnated half-breed. Both your father and Sirzechs himself already approved of this arrangement.

**Anthony:** _(as he approaches Akeno, who looks at him in confusion, he points to the tea. Getting his message, she backs away from the tea cart, though she has no idea what he was planning)_ *No wonder Rias asked me about marriage... because of this Pericolo d'incendio.*

**Rias:** But I didn't. So for the last time... I, will not, marry you!

At this point, Anthony had already done what he needed to do. As he turned around to deliver the tea himself, he saw Riser hold Rias by her chin. He was a whisker-length away from losing his cool, but held on. This Riser was about to taste defeat, Italian-Style! "Excuse me, lovebird..." He said, calling to Riser, making him and Rias give the Italian-American their undivided attention. The look in the blonde's eyes made Anthony wanna sock him with 100 boosts from his Boosted Gear, his eyes held arrogance and very little care. "I think we got off on the wrong wing here. So I prepared my _special_ Italian blend just for you" said Anthony, faking a smile and offering the tea. "Hmm... at least one of you has some sense..." said Riser, thinking nothing of it and taking a sip.

His eyes widened, and spit out the drink in a cartoonish matter, the tea getting all over his clothes as well. The ORC (Rias, Asia and Akeno mostly) had to hold in giggles, the look on his face was priceless! Faking innocence, Anthony picked up an empty bottle off the tea cart. "Ooooooh, my bad. I put in balsamic vinegar by accident" he 'apologized'. (**AN**: I actually did this once to a certain dish I made by accident... too much balsamic flavor isn't pleasant, just leave it at that) Riser was not thrilled. Wiping his mouth, his eyes glowed with power. "YOU LITTLE PEASANT!" He roared and in response, Anthony summoned his gear and thrust it forward. "Bring it, ya big duck!" Anthony yelled, his temper also being let loose.

"That's enough" Grayfia said in a simple, yet intimating tone to demanded respect, making the boys look at her. "Lord Sirzechs has ordered me to step in, should their be any disruption of peace" she continued. Both boys then pointed to each other and yelled: "HE STARTED IT!" But that's when her power flared and Anthony had to admit, she had ALLOT of it for a maid. "Then if you don't get ahold of yourselves, I'll finish it" she said. Though her tone was noble and calm, it was also threatening. Riser backed down first. "Well, if the Ultimate Queen wishes it, Riser cannot deny her" he said, respectfully. "Did I say duck? I meant chicken" commented Anthony, but even he listened to what this 'Ultimate Queen' said.

"With all due respect, ma'am; doesn't Rias get any say in the matter... she IS the blushing bride-to-be" Anthony pointed out. This got a small smile from Rias. Finally! Someone understood! "And with all due respect, this isn't your place" said Grayfia, kindly but with a hint of authority. Rias was about to step up to Anthony's defense, to tell Grayfia that no one but no one will EVER talk to one of her servants like that, but Anthony responded beforehand with: "Wouldn't this be considered bestiality?"

That joke got an immediate reaction from Akeno, the girl snorted loudly before covering her mouth as if that was supposed to lower the volume. Kiba found the jab funny as well, but kept his head on straight. Asia also giggled. Koneko however, didn't react to it as such, just kept a stoic face... wonder why?

While Riser kept his cool despite the roast, Grayfia showed no emotion or even interest at Anthony's analogy. "My master prepared for such a possible conflict between you and Miss Gremory, should civilized communication break down" said the 'Ultimate Queen', ignoring Anthony and speaking to Riser. "Communication? All I heard was quacking in the third person" said Anthony, but then realized something. "OH, RIGHT! Anthony's gotta speak in his dialetto" said Anthony, mocking Riser's used of third person, but that wasn't the only thing he did...

Pulling out a remote, he played the chicken dance on a stereo he brought a few days ago... and did it too.

It was at this point, the ORC lost it. Akeno rolled on the floor laughing, Asia clutched her sides as she giggled, Kiba looked away trying to hide the silly smile on his face... even Koneko didn't expect it and had to bite her lip to prevent herself from joining in. Riser clenched his teeth hard, how dare this mortal mock him?! But in the presence of the 'Ultimate Queen', he remained as calm as he possibly could, though the rage was present on his face. While Rias controlled herself not to laugh, she couldn't deny so loved... no, fawned seeing Riser heated. It made everything he put her through worth it.

BOOM!

The stereo blew up when Anthony finished the second clapping... Grayfia held the magic circle of the Gremory house in her palm, still emotionless. **_[What's her problem? That's a classic]_** asked Ddraig. "Amico, non hai gusto per la musica" said Anthony. "If Lady Rias and her newest servant insists on putting her personal preferences before her family, Sirzechs himself has authorized a Rating Game to settle this dispute" said Grayfia, lowering her hand and getting back into her natural stance. There was that phrase again, Rating Game. Anthony's heard Sona and Rias speak briefly about this, but what did it exactly mean? Didn't Sona say something about it during their chess match? 'It's not a Rating Game, but I'll take it' was the sentence she used to describe chess. Now that Anthony thought about it, Rias once said that chess 'wasn't just a game'... could they be related?

"Riser has played numerous Rating Games and scored many wins... but Riser's darling inexperienced bride hasn't played a single one" said Riser, earning a glare from his 'bride'. "Oh, so Devils do animal testing too?" Commented Anthony. Riser was starting to hate this foreigner, how dare he talk to Riser in such a way? Furthermore, it appeared the rumors were true. Rias newest [and only] Pawn was still human, so there was no possible way he'd survive a second in such a game. "Riser finds this adorable. Compared to Riser's peerage, these servants are all you have" said Riser to Rias. "So what? It's not like you have an A+ Healer, a handsome Knight, a cute Rook and a shocking Queen... not to mention a reasonably attractive Pawn" said Anthony.

With a laugh and snap of his fingers, another fiery magic circle opened...

Fifteen... Fifth. Teen. Girls. "Perché non sono sorpreso?" Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose, unimpressed. Though Anthony will admit, some of the girls were hot... no pun intended. Riser then called on of his girls over... and made out with her. This not only disgusted Rias, but Anthony too. He's seen plenty of polygamous relationships in his time working at his restaurant job and learned to accept it... but fuck him! At least be subtle about it... and have some respect for the girl your supposed to be _marrying_! It was clear Riser was doing this as a intimation/provoke envy tactic. He even played with the woman's breasts as they continued, she was moaning into it as well. When they finally stopped, Riser looked over at Anthony. A mortal like him couldn't possibility handle that display without feeling jealous.

Anthony just looked at the man with no emotion, then slowly looked at Akeno. "Permission to pull a Mike Wazowski?" He asked, faking a sick moan. "Go ahead, go throw up" answered Akeno, kindly. With that, Anthony stuck out his tongue and gagged overdramatically while pointing at it. "Listen, if I wanted brother-sister one-on-one, I'd go to YouTube" said Anthony. "This is not Riser's sister, you Dirt-Class human!" Said Riser, getting angry. This mortal was really getting on his nerves. "No, but Tweety definitely is" said Anthony, pointing to a girl with blond hair in swirly pigtails and had a pink dress with dangling tails on the back, which the human guessed were supposed to represent bird tails. "Poor girl. She's gotta grow up seeing you degrade women, how do you sleep at... oh right, ever-burning Phoenix" Anthony continued.

"You should learn your keep your mouth shut in the presence of Riser, your lucky to be in the same room as Riser, understand?" Said Riser, still groping the girl he was holding. "PECK ME!" Shouted Anthony. "How dare you speak to Riser in that tone? Your just a Dirt-Class... no, Riser's wrong. Your lower than dirt, YOUR A HUMAN!" Said Riser, having enough of this Italian. Hearing this, Anthony's Boosted Gear boosted; he was also on his last nerve with the Phoenix. "Your right, I am human. But I don't give a ratti-culo what you think of me, cause I least I have self-respect unlike you and the rest of your incest-loving sisters! Personally, I feel sorry they have to force themselves to even enjoy you, they'll never know how a REAL man would treat them... instead, they got scooped up by the claws of a horny roster" said Anthony.

"Real man? YOU? Please, the only thing REAL about you is your a little weak human that has no business in the affairs of your betters!" Yelled Riser, starting to slip. Hearing the word affair, gave Anthony an idea. "Yeah, your right... considering Anthony already had one with someone in this room... and her name rhymes with Sias Gregory" said Anthony.

THAT... got Riser's attention...

"You... what..." he growled, on the last pinch of his patience. One more tiny jab, and the fire within him would burst out like a can of burning worms. Anthony then folded his arms in a confident pose. "Oh, you didn't know? Anthony and Sias had quite the bonding time... gotta say, Riser's missing out. He should have heard ALLLLLL the screams and cries... Sias loved what she got, calling out Anthony's name as he dannoed her..." Anthony boasted, even though none of it was true. Normally Rias would have shot down anyone who made up stories about her... but seeing the look of pure rage and jealously on Riser's face, she let it slide. She should have reincarnated Anthony years ago! "OOOOOH, ANTONIO! SCOPAMI! SCOPAMI FORTE!" Anthony said, mimicking "Sias'" voice while putting a hand over his forehead on a fangirl-like gesture.

FLOOSH!

Anthony had to duck to avoid a fireball coming from a growling Riser, who tossed the girl he was groping aside just so he could launch his attack in rage, also shattering the window. "Oh my. Plucked a tail feather there, haven't I?" Anthony said with a smile, getting back up and making a tweezers-like gesture with his Sacred Geared fingers. "YOU HOLD YOUR TONGUE IN THE PRESENCE OF RISER, UNDERSTAND?!" Riser roared, having officially lost it. Seeing the literal fire in his eyes reminded Anthony so much of the fire that killed his family... as scared as he was, he held his ground. "See, this is what I'm talking about; throwing down your woman like a banana peel. A real man would treat his women as equals, not some object!" Anthony said, also having lost his patience with this guy. "SILENCE!" Riser roared, raising his hand for another attack.

**[BOOST!]**

"Bring it, Fawkes! I'll shove that beak up your ass! And if you lay a finger in Rias again, I promise I'll PERSONALLY take you and your Ho-Ohs' out... and HAVE you for lunch with marinara sauce. And its gonna be **HOT**!" Anthony shot back.

No one had ever stood up for Rias' honor when it came to her marriage to Riser before, she could only stare at Anthony. Each word he spoke was full of conviction, honesty and genuine care for her own feelings... just like when he defended Asia. The Devil's heart fluttered, she couldn't express in words how she felt even if she tried. All that ended when Grayfia's power began to flare again, much more this time. "That's... enough..." she said, still calm but she was clearly in no mood for anymore games. If Riser or Anthony spoke or acted out of turn again, they might not live to see another day. Anthony had to admit, for a maid... she was scary!

After the boys calmed down, "Grayfia..." said Rias. "Tell my brother, I agree to the terms. We will settle this with a Rating Game. If I win, Riser; you are to never approach me or even mention about marriage to me ever again. Do I make myself clear?" Rias said with all the gusto she could muster. "I will tell him at once, my lady" said Grayfia. "Hehehe, very well. Riser also agrees to the terms... but should Riser win, you are to be my beloved bride immediately; no questions asked" said Riser with the upmost confidence. Rias had no chance at wining against him, right? Sure she had the Red Dragon on her side, but he was still just a human. There is no way he'd lose with a mere mortal on the opposing side. He walked to his harem when Rias called to him.

"And Riser... believe me when I say, we are going to annihilate you" she said. "Heh, I'm sure you will... see you at the game, my dear. Riser looks forward too it" Riser said, snapping his fingers and he and his peerage disappeared in a burst of flames... he also could've sworn he heard "Fottiti"... eh, he'll deal with it at the Rating Game.

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Amate: **means "beloved", though only when referring to a wife. If you wish to refer to a husband, then its **Amato**.

2) **Ti Sfido:** means "I dare you"

3) **Egoista:** means "selfish"

4) **Pericolo D'incendio:** means "fire hazard"

5) **Dialetto:** means "dialect"

6) **Amico Non Hai Gusto Per La Musica:** means "man you have no taste in music"

7) **Perché Non Sono Sorpreso:** means "why am I not surprised"

8) **Ratti-Culo:** means "rats ass"

9) **Dannoed:** means "ravaged"

10) **Scopami! Scopami Forte:** means "fuck me! fuck me hard!"

11) **Fottiti:** can mean "fuck you" or "go fuck yourself" (**AN:** More commonly the former though)


	12. Chapter 12

1) **Ioloroso019:** Yeah, I know that this communities small. Others like Naruto, Pokemon, RWBY, etc. are much MUCH higher than this; but still... over 4000 stories (at the time of posting this) is quite a high number, with new ones being written every 12-48 hours (I fact-checked this... it wasn't easy, but it's accurate), at least in my opinion. Thank you for the kind speech and words of support, it sounded genuine and it made my day, everyone please give Ioloroso here a BIG hand! _*clap, clap, clap!*_

2) **54godamora:** I see you enjoyed the roasts Riser had gotten, glad you laughed :D

3) **Omnisaurus:** Glad you got your wi-fi back. Also glad you approve of the meeting between Ddraig and Anthony, wanted to make it as original as possible, while still borrowing some of the canon events. As for who was Ddraig's last host... I'll leave that up to viewer interpretation.

4) **Ace:** Isn't birdwatching fun? Where Anthony was born is another Italian (and true) stereotype, web search it and I'll tell you if your right.

Now let's rejoin over favorite group of Devils where they left off...

* * *

**Chapter 11: Training for a Rating**

10 days... that's when the Rating Game was scheduled to take place. Rias had decided to use that time for training mental and physical strength. While Anthony agreed with that plan 100%... he dreaded to see what Rias will put him through this time.

And he was right... he carried an oversized and overstuffed backpack while everyone else had normal backpacks to carry. **_[I think she likes you]_** joked Ddraig. "Non ... ricordamelo" growled Anthony under his breath, not enjoying himself. "Hurry up, slowpoke! We're burning daylight!" Called Akeno from atop of the hill they were climbing. "GIORNO is burning?! SO ARE MY LEGS!" Yelled Anthony. "Come on now. Look those calves, you can do this" Rias said with a smile, using his words on his and Asia's "date" against him. Groaning, Anthony continued up to the top. After a few steps, he stopped again. "Seriously, what the hell am I..."

CRASH!

The oversized/overstuffed backpack opened up... Anthony had to bite his tongue to keep himself from yelling. "Beach chairs?... Sun lotion?... Coolers?... DO I LOOK LIKE A CAZZO LA CIBATTA TO YOU?!" Screamed Anthony, having enough of Rias' games. The King in question just smiled... oh, if she was Riser, Anthony would SO knock her a week in the future. "You sure sound like one" said Koneko. "I didn't ask you, Hello Kitty!" Yelled Anthony, saying this due to the fact she wore cat-faced clips in her hair. She suddenly stopped at looked down in shame, making Anthony feel a little bad... was it something he said?

"Ugh! Sorry... just... at little cranky, is all" he apologized, getting down on his kneels to pick up the fallen items and place them back in the bag, but that just caused him to get angry again. "Seriously though, what's with this stuff? Unless you plan taking me to a tanning salon, at least let me chose my own color" said Anthony. "That's my stuff. Me and Akeno were gonna go sunbathing later" said Rias. "Where? Sardinia?" Asked Anthony. "Come up here and find out" said Rias. "Just visualize, Anthony. You'll make it" said Akeno, giving Anthony some encouragement.

"Visualize what? You in swimsuits?!... actually, that's not a bad idea... OW!" Anthony said, but someone threw a rock a his face. It wasn't enough to cause him to bleed thankfully, but he couldn't tell if Koneko or Asia was the one to throw it since it came from their direction. "IT WAS A JOKE! GEEZ!... ARGH! STUPID BAG!" Said Anthony, now trying to close the bag back up. How the hell did Rias get all this crap in here? He finally manged to zip it closed and put it back on his back. "Good job, now come on, we're almost there" called Rias. "Sure thing, Mary Poppins. Ya got a flying umbrella too?" Anthony called back. "Um, Rias? Don't you think that's maybe a bit too much for Anthony?" Asked Asia. "He'll be fine. See? He's handling it like a champ" said Rias.

Well, if champ meant wheezing like the penguin from Toy Story, then yes Anthony was.

"Aw, screw this... wait a second. What the hell and I doing, I'm the Red Dragon Emperor!" Said Anthony, summoning his Gear. With just a single boost, he could already feel the changes take effect. This backpack felt much MUCH lighter, just a few more and...

FLOOSH!

"SANTO CAZZO!" Anthony screeched like a girl, avoiding an energy blast in a cartoon-like manner. "Sorry, no boosting... your Gear either" said Rias, with a grin and a Destruction spell in her hands. "You could have just said rifiuto... what do ya mean I can't boost?! Isn't that the point of being the Red Dragon?!" Asked Anthony. "That doesn't mean you should rely on it" she answered. "Says the Princess who relies on Destruction... YIKE!" Anthony shot back, only for fire to return in the form of Destruction Magic, and avoiding it again. "Hurry up, it's just ahead" said Rias, turning around and waking away. "And no Familiar's either" she said without turning to look at Anthony.

He was actually drawing the magic square which was needed to call Rassei in the dirt, but then stopped with a deadpanned expression before continuing up the mountain, muttering "ti odio" to himself._** [Match made in hell, alright]**_ joked Ddraig. "Shut up, Spyro" Anthony muttered again. This was gonna be a loooooooooong 10 days...

-TIME BREAK-

The 1st lesson was taught by Kiba. "So, I just gotta hit you once with this wooden sword, then we're done?" Asked Anthony. "Yes... if you think you can" Kiba said. "Ok... though it seems kinda unfair since your a Knight" Anthony pointed out. "Good observation, though you can become one. You had good speed on you at the church, but let's see you put that speed to the test in close combat" said Kiba, bringing up the fact that Anthony already became a Knight once before. "Alright then... En Grade, pretty boy!" Said Anthony rushing for Kiba.

Of course, Anthony's never wielded a sword before other than a diamond one in Minecraft, so he just slashed about wildly. Kiba effortlessly blocked each one of his assaults.

Akeno taught the 2nd lesson, this one was about magic. "Try to focus your bodies natural aura, then release it on a single point" Akeno explained. "Do I look like a blue jackal? Ya want me to use an Aura Sphere too?" Asked Anthony, slightly joking. "I think I got it!" Cheered Asia and sure enough, she already got a magic sphere in her hands. Anthony tried... but couldn't exactly figure out what exactly Akeno was trying to teach about controlling elements such as fire and lightning. She even allowed him to use his Gear to boost himself, but still nothing.

The 3rd lesson...

CRASH!

"ARGH!" Anthony flew into a tree... thrown by Koneko. "That was lame..." she said, but didn't expect him to get up so quickly. He threw a punch, but she avoided it. Anthony was able to kick her in the back, but due to her endurance as a Rook she didn't move. This lesson out of all of them was easiest for Anthony, as he taught himself how to fight when dealing with bullies and people ganging up on him. "I sort of felt that, but try to aim towards the body's center, for precision and maximum damage" she said as she leapped on his neck and warped her legs around him.

Cazzo, did it hurt when she twisted.

Lesson 4... "Cooking?... Your joking, right?" Asked Anthony to Rias with an unamused expression. "Nope, you are to make anything you want, so have fun" said Rias, but before she left... "Oh, but you can't touch anything" she added. "THEN HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO COOK?!" Yelled Anthony. As an Italian, he took huge pride in being able to concoct whatever his heart desired when it came to cooking, AKA getting his hands dirty. "You'll figure it out... make something magical" Rias said, looking back before finally leaving the kitchen. "Lesson 4 my ass..." muttered Anthony, as this was obviously Lesson 2 part 2. "Um... please boil" said Asia and just like during the 2nd lesson, the water obeyed her.

**_[Obviously, you'll have to try and use magic again...]_ **said Ddraig as Anthony picked up an onion. _'No shit, Sherlock. I can summon Rassei no problem, yet can't summon my very own Aura Sphere. So how am I supposed to peel this thing without physically touching it?'_ Asked Anthony. **_[Akeno... she is ripe for picking, isn't she?]_** Said Ddraig in a slight perverted matter, giving Anthony a naked image of Akeno. Anthony was about to call him out on it (that didn't mean he didn't like what Ddraig thought), but that's when the onion suddenly just peeled itself!

_'DDRAIG!'_ Shouted Anthony. **_[Ugh, I'm sorry. I...]_** Ddraig tried to apologize. _'No, NO! Do that again'_ Anthony requested, picking up a potato this time. **_[Uh... again?]_** Asked Ddraig. _'Did I speak francese? Yes, do it again'_ said Anthony. Reimagining the image of a nuda Akeno, the potato in Anthony's hand instantly peeled just like the onion. "Oh, wow! Look how good your getting!" Cheered Asia, happy her childhood friend was now getting the hang of magic. "Yeah...I think I got this now" said Anthony, confidently. _'Ddraig... your a genius'_ he praised his partner.

-TIME BREAK-

With the new power Anthony had obtained, he and Asia made another Italian-based meal. Gorgonzola Salad, Eggplant Pancakes (this name kinda threw the ORC off, as there was nothing pancake about this dish), and Chicken Alfredo. They also had a side of freshly (or in this case, magically) sliced potato chips. "MMMMMM! Delicious!" Said Akeno, now she knew how Rias felt about Anthony's cooking. "I have to agree... not even Gremory chiefs can make such dishes" Kiba said honestly. Rias didn't take that as an insult at all, even she had to admit Anthony had more talent any of the finest chiefs in the Underworld. "... its ok" said Koneko, not wanting to give the 'Italian Perv" the satisfaction.

"Says the one who just ate 3 dishes of my chicken like a cat eats tuna" Grinned Anthony. Koneko hid her blush, realizing she got caught in a lie, but didn't answer him... as much as she hated to admit it, this was a fantastic lunch. She couldn't remember the last time she had such a meal. "Well, that was fulling. I'm going to take a bath, care to join me, Anthony?" Rias said, starting her daily teasing. "Eh... I don't know. Just you and me? That seems kinda unfair to everyone else" Anthony shot back.

"Your right. I'd like to join too, it sounds like fun. Maybe I can bathe him like a baby?" Said Akeno, joining in. "How about you, Asia? You wouldn't feel uncomfortable doing this, would you?" Asked Rias. "Um... no, not at all!" Said Asia with an embarrassed face at first, but then it changed to determination. "Eh, you can count me out" Kiba joked. "What about you, Koneko?" Asked Rias... the kids response was cracking her knuckles. "Guess that's a no then, huh? Oh darn, I guess I'll just have to wait until tonight" said Anthony, faking sadness. "And who said I was gonna sleep with you?" Asked Rias with a smirk. "You just did. And... a little red birde, told me that someone HAS to sleep naked with someone else, or she couldn't sleep" said Anthony, bringing up Rias' confession about her sleeping patterns.

"Oh really? She sounds like a real keeper."

"Yeah... its too bad she can't handle ALLLLLL of this."

"How do you figure that?"

"Just look at this Italian sexiness... she'll never get over it. Plus, she supposed to get married to some Blazing Buffalo Chicken... a REEEEEEEEEEEEEAL Hot Shot."

"Aw, what a shame. Is there something your gonna do for her?"

"As a matter of fact, once I puck all his feathers out, I'm gonna barbecue him alive and make him into a pot pie... the girl'll be ALLLLLL over me."

"Well, aren't you sweet? Be sure to tell that girl..."

"Your both making me sick" said Koneko, drinking some water to wash down the flavor. Akeno giggled at Koneko's reaction, Asia was red in the face (either due to jealously or just the tone of the conversation, it was hard to tell), and Kiba just smiled like the Knight he was. "Aw, the peanut gallery doesn't feel good? Does she want a glass of milk?" Anthony joked. "Suck it" answered the 'peanut', going back to her food. "Aw well, I'm hitting the shower... no peeking" said Anthony, pointing a finger to Rias and wiggling it. "Don't tempt me..." she answered back.

Koneko had to fight the urge to pick up the table and toss it to Anthony and see if he could catch it. As happy as she was that her president was feeling better, their constant back-and-forth flirting made it difficult... what did Rias see in that guy anyway? So what if he cooks, and is charismatic... and cares about her feelings... and cute sometimes, that didn't mean anything... did it?

-TIME BREAK-

The next day went by rather quickly. Anthony did more of his training and showed improvement in all lessons (not counting the BS Lesson 4), though he still needed more work when trying to use magic, which was expected as he was still human. Rias also gave a brief lesson on the 72 Pillars, another name for high-ranking Devil houses, and that their numbers had dropped dramatically due to the Great War. Which was the reason Devil reincarnated other races instead of breeding... that of course, didn't mean breeding wasn't a factor in numbers; but since they live almost forever, they have low birthrates... how? "So... despite being ageless and perfect in every way, shape and form... you can't avere bambini?" Anthony asked, a little confused.

Human's had good birthrates and they were mortal... so shouldn't that mean that Devils could multiply like rabbits?

"It's not that we can't, we just simply don't conceive easily" said Rias. "Said every teen writer on Fanfiction. net" muttered the Italian. "Pardon?" Asked Rias kindly, no hearing what Anthony had said. "I said, wow. And I thought human life was bad" he white-lied... though it wasn't a total one. He had assumed Devils and Angels were perfect, but it seemed even they had their own Kryptonite. He was glad he wasn't a Devil now... though he'd never say that out loud in front of everyone else. "On the bright side, you get the full experience without those pesky preservativi" Anthony said. Rias couldn't help bu smile at Anthony's witty response. "Always looking where the grass is greener, aren't you?" She said with a smirk. "Colpevole come accusato" said Anthony with a playful shrug.

"Ok, hows about a quick break? Maybe some tea?" Asked Rias. "I'll go make it" said Akeno, getting up and heading to the kitchen. "And don't let Anthony touch it this time" joked Rias. "AHEM! My special is. DELICIOUS! Just ask Big Bird, he loved it" joked Anthony. "Oh, I almost forgot... Asia? I wanted to know more about your life as a holy sister... would you mind sharing?" Asked Rias. While this wasn't exactly 100% true, it wasn't 100% wrong either. All her life, Rias wanted to know what went on on the flip side... also, this was the perfect chance to get to know the blond better, as well as some possible hints to Anthony's past. The redhead couldn't help but wonder if his failed reincarnation had something to do with it.

"Um... right now?" Asked Asia. "No time like the present" said Rias.

Asia's life explanation was educational to say the least. She said she has done a few exorcisms before meeting Freed... and unlike his; the ones Asia did involved Holy Water, Crosses and the Bible... NOT holy swords, light spears and guns. She also tried to read her favorite verse of the bible, but that just got her a headache... she was persistent and keep trying, but with no success. Feeling bad, Anthony had to read it for her... giving EVERYONE else a headache. "Heheh... triste" he apologized, rubbing his neck and smiling awkwardly. Asia was still thankful though.

-TIME BREAK-

That night, Anthony was exiting the kitchen after getting himself some water. In doing so, he attracted the attention of a Rias Gremory walking down the stairs wearing a silk robe. She was also holding a book against her chest. "Anthony? Your still awake? I thought you'd be exhausted after today" said Rias. "Oh, hey Rias... have you always wore glasses?" Asked Anthony, just noticing the Devil was also sporting some eyewear. She looked like a librarian... a sexy librarian. "Can you follow me? I was gonna ask you about my battle plan tomorrow, but seeing as we're both still up..." she said, not answering his question.

_Outside..._

"Not bad... non è affatto male. What are you so worried about?" Asked Anthony, hearing the Rias' battle strategy. She was sitting on a ledge while discussing with Anthony. "In case you've forgotten, Riser has 15 members... I only have 6 including myself" said Rias. "We'll be fine! The Sexy King of Germory's got her an Holy Bishop, a Handsome Knight, Young but Strong Rook, and a Curvy Queen... plus a Red-Hot Dragon who is an AMAZING cook" said Anthony, trying to cheer Rias up. She smiled, so it had the desired effect, but barely. "I appreciate your confidence, Anthony. But Riser is a member of the Phenex house... and just like the bird its named after, he can regenerate from any would inflicted on him. His family always had the highest scores in Rating Games, can't say I'm surprised... how does one lose if they always raise up?" Said Rias.

"Mortal... Immortal... it doesn't matter" said Anthony, making Rias look at Anthony in surprise. "So what if he can regenerate his dick if I shoot it off? Doesn't mean it won't hurt like a bitch" said Anthony, stepping forward towards Rias and looked straight into her eyes, also holding her hand and gently but firmly squeezing it. Once again, Rias felt warmth flood throughout her entire body as soon as contact with him was made. "Your Rias Gremory... the baddest canga in all the land, you hear me? We WILL win, you got it? And once you beat him, you can throw his wedding ring out the window, then pull a Koneko and tell him to suck it" said Anthony, with as much conviction in his voice as possible.

Rias didn't know what to say at first, but then got back to reality. "Anthony... do you know why I'm engaged to Riser?" She asked him. "Cause the horny dodo can't except your feelings and has commitment issues?" Asked Anthony, half-joking and half serious. Rias had to hold back a giggle with how stoic Anthony was upon asking. "Not exactly. As one of the few 72 Pillars left, combining our 2 families together is important to our political v..." Rias explained, but stopped upon seeing Anthony's face harden. "There it is... so he's only marrying you to further his and your families political cazzate" he growled, not liking Rias's confession.

"The nerve... not just him, but your own family. Their supposed to love and care for you, not sell you to the highest bidder" he continued, getting a little angrier. It was one thing for Riser to do this, but Rias' own family? That was low. Rias attempted to calm him down. "It's true... everyone just sees me as the next head of the Gremory house, no one..."

BLAM!

Subconsciously... Anthony blew a hole in the marble flooring with his Boosted Gear, shocking her. She appreciated his support, but it wasn't his problem so why was he getting so mad? Before she could ask, Anthony grabbed her chin and made her stare directly into his eyes. Rias couldn't help but get lost in them until he started speaking. "You listen to me... your NOT, an oggetto. Your a person... not some premio to be won, you understand? Your Rias Gremory... the woman who saved the life of some nessuno... and he'll be DAMNED if you EVER. Refer to yourself as anything less. So pull yourself together, stand tall against that overgrown firework, and show your family that YOU decide your future. Not them. Not God. YOU!"

Anthony words made her blush and freeze up... no one had EVER said that about her before, it was only something she wished. "Anthony..." said Rias, but he wasn't through. "That walking barbecue only like you for your name? Well, I like you for WHO you are, not some title. Look what you did for me; you gave me a new life, amazing friends... not to mention a kick-ass dragon gauntlet... I just really wish... I could pay you back... for everything..." Anthony said, finally calming down and letting go of the girl.

"..." The Devil was struck speechless. She waited her entire life for someone... anyone... to say those words. She didn't expect it like this. "Besides, your the Princess of Destruction, right? No one with a name like that is easy to beat. What's Riser gonna do? _Rise_ above you in the third person? He can't touch you, your..."

SMOOSH!

Anthony was abruptly stopped by being pulled into a hug, her buxom pair crushed against his chest... and she wasn't wearing a bra. She was also crying tears of joy. "... thank you, Anthony. I... I needed that" Rias thanked him. Anthony returned the hug after a moment of recovery, and she sank into it, feeling at peace. "I promise Rias... his winning streak is over, you have my word."

* * *

Quick note about the Eggplant Pancakes cause I'm sure I lost some of you there. Eggplant Pancakes traditionally are NOT made with batter, but with baking powder and its fried in vegetable oil as opposed to a pancake; which is all batter with your choice of syrup and butter. And hopefully you appreciated the joke I made about FanFiction. Though I will admit; unlike most fantasy in books or TV, at least DxD made it a POINT to say that, and not just make it up for the sake of plot convenience... looking at you, 87% of Lemon writers!

As you can also see, I'm making Ddraig a bigger part in this series. While I have no problem with his role in canon, he seems underutilized... which is a shame for such a character. Sure he has some points in the story, but still very limited. This is, of course, coming from someone who has yet to read the novels and manga. Hope you all enjoyed and see ya in the next chapter!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Non Ricordamelo:** means "don't remind me"

2) **Giorno:** means "daylight"

3)** La Cibatta:** means "mule"

4) **Santo Cazzo:** means "holy fuck"

5) **Rifiuto:** means "no" (**AN**: it's an advanced way of saying no, the English word is also used in our language)

6) **Ti Odio:** means "I hate you"

7) **Francese:** means "french"

8) **Avere Bambini:** means "have kids"

9)** Preservativi:** means "condoms"

10) **Colpevole Come Accusato:** means "guilty as charged"

11) **Triste:** means "sorry"

12) **Non è Affatto Male:** means "not bad at all"

13) **Canga:** means "bitch"

14) **Oggetto:** means "object"

15) **Premio:** means "prize"

16) **Nessuno:** means "nobody"


	13. Chapter 13

1) **Ioloroso019:** Your welcome for the acknowledgment, I'll keep the good work up as long as I can.

2) **Rmarcano321:** A lesson to be learned from this story?... That if you get reincarnated by a Devil, this is how you get her to fall for you? _#Joke_

3) **Emblemfan1:** Well, those are allot of reviews there. Let's go through one at a time...

_Ch8: Of course I can't take it easy on little ol' Anthony, neither should Rias. Glad your still liking the comedy as well as Anthony's first official use of the Boosted Gear; it's to answer a few lore-based questions, but being as vague as possible... can't give everyone the answers just yet._

_Ch9: Been getting positive feedback and good views for that chapter, its one of my personal favorites._

_Ch10: Yup, still working on the "show, don't tell". Thanks for those pointers by the way and hope you enjoy the rest of the story._

4) **Omnisaurus:** Welcome back and glad you finally took care of whatever business your into. Glad you enjoyed both chapters 11 and 12, especially since you've recanted your statement about Familiar Forest being the funniest chapter (as stated above, its still one of my favs). I'm also glad someone also shares my opinion on Ddraig.

* * *

**Chapter 12: It's All Fun Games, Until A Dragon Gets Heated - Part 1**

9 days had passed, the Rating Game was tomorrow. It was time to see how much Anthony had improved...

_Koneko's Strength Test, 9:43am..._

Anthony's arm thrust forward, but Koneko dodged. She went to leap on his back again... not a chance in hell this time! Turning around, Anthony meant to take her advice and aim for her bodies center, but didn't anticipate how close she was and ended up backhanding her... pretty hard. Although it was unintentional, it caught the freshman completely off guard and she fell down with a red mark on her cheek. She went to get up, before Anthony could take advantage of... helping her up? What the?

"Crap! Sorry Koneko, you wanna start ov... ARGH!" Anthony's apology was stopped by Koneko punching his bicep with an uppercut, making him start hacking (thankfully not blood). "ACK! _*Cough, cough!*_ What the hell, Ko? I wasn't about to cup one" Anthony said, thinking the youngest Devil got defensive again. "Focus, perv" she said flatly before leaping at the Italian. Once she got in range, Anthony sidestepped and elbowed her in the back of her neck; once again surprising her, only now it was her turn to gag. "SHIT! Koneko! KONEKO! Are you...?" Anthony was once again stopped by Koneko retaliating, this time with a sweep kick and knocking Anthony down.

"THEY WERE ACCIDENTS! I..." Anthony said, but Koneko cut him off by staring down at him... then held out her hand with an oddly warm smile. "You pass, now get up" she said. Confused, Anthony just stared before accepting her hand. "Oh, uh... thanks... I didn't hurt you, did I?" Asked Anthony, feeling the spot he slapped, as well as looking at the back of her neck that he elbowed. Koneko started feeling warm at his touch, just like back at the ORC when he scratched her _ears_... she was still trying to get over that.

"Damn, that might bruise. Good thing I packed a First-Aid K..." Anthony said but for the 4th time that day, Koneko stopped him by holding the hand that was on her face and lowering it. "I'm a tough bitch, I can handle it" she said, hiding the uncertainty in her voice. She had to admit, Anthony was indeed a kind soul, always worrying about everyone. First Asia, then Rias... hold on, why does she even care?! Pushing his hand down and putting her stoic face back on, she turned and began to walk off. "Come on, you still need to work on your magic" she said. "Koneko?... Hey! ASPETTA!" He called out to her, following her as she left. He tried striking up a conversation... no such luck.

She'd never say it aloud but, despite her Rook endurance, the accidental hit and elbow attack actually stung a bit.

_Akeno's Magic Test, 10:36am..._

Anthony actually manged to finally summon a tiny magic ball of energy, WITHOUT his Boosted Gear!... then it proofed out of existence after 5 seconds with a fart sound. Akeno couldn't help but giggle. "It's not funnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" Whined Anthony. He learned how to create his own magic circles (though they only took him 3 feet... 4 if he was lucky), peel/cut food by 'visualizing', and could summon Rassei without drawing a circle in the dirt; but he still had trouble getting an ACTUAL spell to work, even with Ddraig's power boosting.

"Akeno? Is there some kind of scorciatoia, maybe a trick you can teach me?" Asked Anthony, thinking maybe there was another way to perform this 'magic' thing. Akeno just looked at him and slowly smiled with a finger near her mouth. "Don't pull a Jiraiya, PLEASE don't pull a Jiraiya..." Anthony begged her. She giggled in an oddly sexy way. "Well, if visualizing doesn't work, you can always try feeling" she said. "So I HAVE to pull a Jiraiya for this too work?" Anthony asked... not that he didn't like that solution, it would just feel awkward after a while.

"Not exactly. Trying feeling what you want to do instead, like how your Boosted Gear works" said Akeno. "Huh?" Asked Anthony, confused. "Sacred Gears are emotionally connected to their owners... the stronger your feelings, the more powerful you'll become" explained the senior student. "Like how Ddraig boosts me every 10 seconds?" Asked Anthony. "Yes how... Ddraig?" Asked Akeno while cocking her head, confused at Anthony's word choice. "Uh, I mean, the Boosted Gear... sorry, kinda went to La-La Land for a second" Anthony covered up, realizing his slip of the tongue.

Closing his eyes and concentrating, he focused on the feeling his Boosted Gear gave him. Whenever he used its power; he felt faster, stronger, more durable... even more alive. Not feeling any changes, he opened his eyes to see...

Akeno started to feel a little concerned, was he ok? And Ddraig... why did that sound familiar? She forgot this thought when Anthony successfully casted a spell, right in his hand... without his gear! It was a shining ball of energy and, while small, was a sight to see. All his emotions were poured into it; Akeno could feel warmth, happiness, love, compassion and even his natural drive from the tiny sphere in the palm of his hand. "H-Hey... I'm doing it... I'm really doing it!" Anthony said happily, looking at his accomplishment. "Congratulations, sweetie; your a natural!" Said Akeno, hugging him from behind and looking at his magic ball with pride. In fact, it was getting brighter!

If only she knew the reason... was the softness that Anthony manged to (somewhat) ignore, but the dragon inside of him..._** [So... soft...]**_ said Ddraig. _'Ddraig, calm down... DDRAIG!'_ Anthony tried to get his dragon back to reality.

BOOM!

The sphere blew up... messing up Anthony and Akeno's hair due to the wind it generated. Both the human and Devil blinked once each, shocked at what occurred._** [Ugh... sorry, my bad]**_ the dragon apologized. Before Anthony could respond to him, "Heheh... wow. What a load. Warn me next time you explode" Akeno joked. "I normally have a long trigger... blame my teacher for being such a stupefacente woman" Anthony returned fire.

Akeno just giggled. "Be sure to thank her then. You pass... with flying colors" she said, hugging him a little tighter to try and get a reaction out of him. It worked, as he gasped slightly. "Um... isn't it time for my last lesson?" Asked Anthony, trying to keep his head on straight. "Maybe after OUR lesson..." cooed Akeno, making sure to get as close to his ear as possible when she said this. Luckily for Anthony (or unluckily depending on the POV), the doorknob jiggled and Rias walked in.

Akeno got off Anthony as soon as the door began to open, so the president didn't see what had transpired between the student and his teacher... why was Anthony blushing? Eh, no time to worry about that, Kiba's waiting outside.

_Final Test, 11:57am..._

"This again? I already got you when you told me to be aware of my surroundings" said Anthony. He already passed Kiba's test, which was to always not just keep eyes on the opponent, but also on the environment to see if he could use it to his advantage before his adversary does. While Anthony still needed some sword work, he was able to evade most of Kiba's assaults then catch the Knight off guard by hitting him on the back of the leg... Anthony also joked that he always wanted to try horse meat.

"This times a little different. I want you to use your Boosted Gear against Kiba now" said Rias. "Better boost up as much as you can, cause I won't go easy on you this time" said Kiba, taking a battle stance with the wooden sword. In response, Anthony summoned the gear. "Been waiting to use this thing in actual combat for over a week! Aumentare il Tempo!" Said Anthony. "Aumentare il Tempo?" Asked an amused Rias. "You couldn't think of anything less cringey?" Asked Koneko, flatly. "HEY! My Gear, my catchphrase... plus, I'm a Saban nerd" said Anthony.

He loved Power Rangers as a kid, from Mighty Morphing to SPD... he stopped watching after Samurai though, since it was basically a rehash of Ninja Storm...

**[BOOST!]**

"Good, again" said Rias. "Oh-ho, don't you worry, ciliegia-cima. I'm firing up!" Said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

"So original..." Koneko deadpanned. "Like I said, MY Gear" Anthony said.

**[BOOST!]**

"That's it? Three? Can't you handle more?" Asked Rias. She knew of course Anthony could do more than that, she just egged him on for training's sake... well that, and she kinda liked pushing his buttons. "This Stallion's just walking the track!" Said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

"Come on, you can do better!" Called Rias. "I'm preriscaldare il forno!" Said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

"Only 5? You expect to beat Riser with only 5?" Rias asked, though this was just another tactic to get Anthony as pumped as possible. "Then I'll give ya 10!" Anthony said with a raised voice.

**[BOOST!]**

"Your looking tired, are you done?"

"LONTANO DA ESSO!"

**[BOOST!]**

"You want to walk me down the aisle?"

"NOT TO BLAZE HEATNIX!"

**[BOOST!]**

"Wow. Eight boosts in a row? That's a new record" commented Akeno, as Anthony has never gone past 5 boosts unless he was angry. Asia also looked in awe, she's never seen Anthony so determined before. "Keep going!" Ordered Rias. "Come on, Gear! Boost!" Said Anthony, repeating its iconic phrase.

**[BOOST!]**

"Alright, I think that's enough" said Rias but to her surprise, Anthony refused. "NO! Not yet!"

**[BOOST!]**

"I gave you my word, Ri... that turkey's never gonna lay a finger on you again!"

**[BOOST!]**

"If I'm gonna beat a regenerating woodpecker, I need to burn him in un colpo! I have to go full-Italian on that douchebag!"

**[BOOST!]**

"..." Just like last night, Rias was left speechless. It amazed her that such a person existed, one that would put himself on the line just for the sake of those he cared about... where was this man the last 16 years of her life?

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony felt a little pang run up his arm upon that last boost, not too painful but enough for his face to cringe slightly. "Anthony, you ok?" Rias asked with concern, seeing the face he made. "Ugh... yeah! ... Nothing I can't walk off" Anthony assured her for 2 reasons:

1) He didn't want her to worry.

2) It was a slight ego thing and he didn't want to appear weak... stupid hormones.

_**[Anthony...]**_ Ddraig spoke up, trying to tell Anthony something important. _'Not now, Ddraig! Boost me up!' _Said the Italian. Ddraig didn't think it was a good idea at first, but none of his former human hosts had ever gotten past 6 boosts on their own... then again, most of them didn't activate Ddraig as young as Anthony did... perhaps one more wouldn't hurt. The delay for the next boost was one extra second, most likely as a precautionary action on the dragons part.

**[BOOST!]**

The pang in Anthony's arm was a little more noticeable, and harder to ignore. The Italian-American had to clench his teeth to keep himself from making a loud noise, but he still grunted. "Anthony? You ok?" Asked Kiba, noticing his students distress. "Y-Yeah... just nerves. Never boosted so much, ya no?" Anthony covered up. Kiba wasn't gonna pretend he could relate, he didn't have a Sacred Gear like the Red Dragon after all...

...

...

...

15 seconds had passed, and Anthony didn't boost up again. This confused the boy, why wasn't Ddraig boosting him up anymore? Wasn't that the purpose of the Sacred Gear, doubling every 10 seconds? "Looks like he hit his limit... how many was that?" Rias asked Akeno. "Um... 14, I think?" She said sheepishly, having lost count because she stared at him in awe. To be honest, seeing how much power Anthony was able to store was impressive given the fact he was still human.

"Limit?... No way! I'm just... taking a quick break. I'm the Red Dragon after all!" Said Anthony, but even he wasn't exactly sure what was going on. You mean to tell him the limitless power Ddraig had was _limited_? How did THAT make any sense!_** [Their correct. You've already went past your physical limit]**_ said Ddraig, explaining what Anthony wasn't understanding. _'My limit? Oh, guess that makes sense' _said Anthony. What Ddraig said reminded him of the Chaos Emeralds from the Sonic series... the gems had infinite power, but the hedgehog did not.

Much like how little Paramount cared/paid to make a movie about him... (**AN**: Had to squeeze this in.)

Hold on... then why did he boost almost indefinitely with Raynare? If Ddraig's logic was true, didn't that mean that Anthony had a much MUCH higher limit than a mere 14? He asked this to his partner. **_[You were in a state of distress. As Akeno pointed out, the Sacred Gear is also connected to your emotional state. Because you were angry, your body was able to draw out more power from the Gear, which is also the reason you collapsed after using it. Going over your body's limit is like pouring water into a cup... eventually its going to overflow if you don't drink it]_** Ddraig explained.

Hearing that analogy got Anthony thinking, was that why his arm started hurting, because he went over his limit and didn't release the power he stored? But if that was true, then how did he boost an extra time if he hit his limit? _'By that logica, shouldn't I have stopped?'_ Asked Anthony. _**[That last one was from me, I figured one more wouldn't hurt, but that was my mistake. You handled it, but I'd advise releasing all that power. Keeping it all bottled up isn't safe either] **_said Ddraig. This got Anthony thinking...

"Ok, that's enough. Kiba, get ready to..." Rias commanded, but was stopped by Anthony holing up his arm... it felt like he was lifting several arms along with his own, but still... "WAIT!... Just one more... I'm gonna do one more" said Anthony. Rias looked at him, she could see he wasn't feeling so hot, but also knew not to argue with him. He'll end up cussing her out in Italian again.

Despite her feelings on the matter, she also felt flattered Anthony was trying so hard for her... she just nodded. **_[Anthony, you can't boost anymore. You've hit your limit_] **Ddraig said. _'No... but you can'_ Anthony said. He didn't know how, but he felt a pair of eyes bulge slightly. _**[Anthony, you can't. Your body might break apart!]**_ Said Ddraig, worriedly. Anthony heard this, but had a flashback of Rias' crying face from _"that"_ night... he wouldn't let her cry like that, not... no, _NEVER_ again. "I have too... I can't let her marry that flaming vulture" he said out loud without realizing.

_**[Anthony, if you boost again, your putting your life at risk. And if you die... where do you think that leaves me?]**_

"I don't care! She's too good for him!"

_**[Listen... I understand your feelings, but is one Devil really worth it? Y...]**_

"SHE'S WORTH EVERYTHING! THAT INCESTUOUS PARAKEET DOESN'T DESERVE HER!"

Of course, the entire ORC heard this... at least, only Anthony's side of it. "Nice... he's a schizo too" said Koneko, unamused. Asia, Akeno and Kiba looked at Anthony with concern; was he ok? Rias however, could only stare at him with her eyes glazing over. Anthony, right now, was the definition of a true friend (and by that extension, the best servant a Devil could only _dream_ of). He cared for Rias, saw her for who she _was_, cooked for her and everyone else, volunteered to take some workloads from them to help reduce stress... hell, he stood up to Riser... RISER of all Devils, just for her!

How did Rias get so lucky? She figured even God himself would never know... "Come on! I can do this! Boost!... BOOST!" Ordered Anthony, wanting Ddraig to comply. 5 seconds passed...

...

...

...

10 seconds...

...

...

...

15 seconds...

...

...

...

20 seconds...

**[BOOST!]**

"ARGH!"

That boost was the most agonizing thing Anthony had felt! As soon as it happened, his arm started bleeding! The crimson liquid ran down in several streaks. No way Anthony was doing that again... "ANTHONY!" Cried Rias and Asia, both looking as if they'd start crying. "Argh... I'm ok... va tutto bene" he lied. Truth is, he felt like his muscles tightened themselves around his arm and squeezed, like when you go to the doctor for a checkup and he/she takes your blood pressure with that pump-action wristband or whatever it's called... but instead of stopping, the doctor would keep going.

_**[Unless you want your arm to burst open like a can of confetti...]**_ warned Ddraig. _'I KNOW!'_ Yelled Anthony to Ddraig in his thoughts. He didn't mean to, it's just that the pain was incredible... and he thought Raynare's light spears were bad. "Alright, Kiba... let's ballare!" Anthony managed to say, despite the pain in his arm.

**[EXPLOSION!]**

A massive flare of power, rivaling Riser's, was released. Now that it left his arm, the pain began to subside, though NOW it was a struggle to keep the power in the palm of his hand! He tried to control it, and everyone could see his struggle to do so, but who knows how long that was going to last? The ball of dragonic energy began to pulse, just begging... no, DEMANDING to be released. "Guys... GET DOWN!" Anthony yelled; which everyone obeyed as a thick, deep-red beam of energy flew out of Anthony's palm (obviously against his will) and across the training ground.

Daring the look in the direction of its trajectory, the ORC saw that Anthony's Dragon Shot had shot through... repeat, _through_ a mountain in the distance. The mountain in question now had a giant "O" near the top of it... though seconds later, the tip fell off, turning the "O" into a "U".

Anthony stumped down, holding himself up by his dragonic arm while heaving deep breaths. "ANTHONY! Anthony! Are you ok?" Asked Rias, rushing to Anthony's side. She's never witnessed such raw power like that before, it was a sight to behold. With that kind of power, Anthony could obliterate Riser in one blast! He'd never rengen... what the hell? She cut off those thoughts, Anthony clearly struggled to control that power, she couldn't do that to him! What kind of careless master would do that to her servant?

Anthony passed out before he could even answer, worrying Rias more and making her call out his name in worry. She now felt guilty, this was all her fault. She pushed him too hard and now he hurt himself for her sake. **[He's fine, just needs rest.] **Huh? Where did that voice come from? It radiated power and nobility, yet held a tone that demanded respect... actually, it sounded like Anthony's Gear... correction, sounding like AND coming from Anthony's Gear!

Everyone just stared in shock and widened eyes, letting Rias know she wasn't hallucinating what she heard. "Uh... who are you?" Was all that could come out of Rias' mouth.

**[Oh, excuse me. Where are my matters? My name is Ddraig, although your kind knows me as the Red Dragon Emperor] **said Ddraig, explaining himself. Rias swore her heart stopped beating for about 5 seconds. Ddraig? As in THE Ddraig?! A Dragon that had enough power to slay gods and demons without batting an eye?! Sure she knew this Gear held his power... but not the LITERAL DRAGON HIMSELF!** [For a human host, he's tougher than he looks... most human hosts of mine couldn't handle as much power as he did]** Ddraig said, which calmed Rias down a little. She sighed in relief, it looked like Anthony was ok... just overclocked.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised anymore. He was able to use you at a young age after all" said Rias. This surprised Ddraig, she knew already? **[So you already know? Can Devils read minds, cause there's no possible way even HE'D remember using me] **said the Red Dragon. This is when Asia stepped forward, though with some hesitation. She was a little freaked out that another voice was speaking from Anthony's unconscious body. "Uh... I told them, Mister Ddraig sir" said the ex-nun. Her cute confession got a hearty chuckle from the dragon. **[I see... you must be Miss Argento, my masters childhood friend. However, your misinformed. Anthony had used me earlier] **he said kindly, which eased Asia's nerves a little. At least this dragon seemed really nic...

Hold up... earlier? As in BEFORE Anthony met Asia? This interested Rias greatly. 8-years-old was a young age indeed... not many beings in history had unlocked their Sacred Gears that young. The earliest she could recall was one person who was around the age of 10... though he lost himself to the power of his Gear shortly after due to lacking proper training (**AN**: This is a reference to one of the Juggernaut Drive predecessors from the anime, in case some of you didn't catch it). That would make Anthony one of the few beings to not only use, but control his Gear so young. "Ok... when? When did Anthony first summon you?" Asked Rias.

The answer he gave, was a single word... And this word, sent chills up everyones' spine...

...

...

...

**[Birth.]**

* * *

Like I said earlier, Ddraig's gonna play a bigger role in this story than canon because I felt he's underutilized. I have nothing against canon, but would it have hurt the writers to give him a little more screen time? Sure we got a shitload of him in Season 2 and 3, but after that; that's when he started to fade out and only get involved when required or when speaking to Issei/Azazel. Again, coming from someone who hasn't read any manga/light novel, so take don't take this prospective too harshly.

That was a unexpected twist, wasn't it? Anthony using the Gear even BEFORE he met Asia? See, told you guys this would be original, not a single writer in all the DxD stories I've read had ever went as far as Anthony using it at birth... but what does this have to do with anything? Maybe we'll find out... or maybe we won't. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, see ya next time!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Aspetta**: means "wait up"

2) **Scorciatoia**: means "shortcut"

3) **Aumentare il Tempo**: means " its boosting time"

4) **Ciliegia-Cima**: means "cherry-top"

5) **Preriscaldare il Forno**: means "preheating the oven"

6) **Lontano Da Esso**: means "far from it"

7) **Un Colpo**: means "one shot"

8) **Logica**: means "logic" (though that sounds pretty obvious, doesn't it?)

9) **Va Tutto Bene**: means "all's good"

10) **Ballare**: means "dance"


	14. Chapter 14

Happy summer ya'll, and welcome back to the next chapter of **The Italian Dragon Emperor**. As always, we began with shout-outs:

1) **Rmarcano321:** I don't know, never really thought about it. If I had to choose on the spot, perhaps the Twilight Healing or Boosted Gear.

2) **Omnisaurus:** That IS a good question. Tannin knows about second base, and there is a "panties dragon" in the manga (I could be wrong). Plus Ddraig's last host was a perv in this universe and it had a lasting effect on him, so...

3) **Emblemfan1:** Really? I didn't think so. The chicken dance was planned by Anthony just before Riser arrived. As stated, Rias confessed everything to Anthony upon him resisting the temptation to sleep with her. He even called Riser a feather-faced nitwit, so he's fully aware of Risers powers and what they are based on. You probably missed that. Thanks for the tip though. As for the bleeding thing, I thought just the opposite, so thanks for that pointer.

4) **Jon: **I originally wrote down albatross, but that didn't exactly roll off the tongue, so I changed it to duck since some people actually eat Roast Duck. (**AN**: I never had, never will... ducklings are so cute! And I just love it when ducks wag their tails like dogs when you throw them bread. Adorable!)

In other news... it's time. My DxD Hero Review series (though late) is finally finished! The first episode is up on my YouTube channel if any of you want to see it. Whenever your ready, lets get back to Anthony's training session and see if we can figure out how he's able to use a Sacred Gear at birth... maybe a few more question will be answered... maybe more questions that need answers? Who knows?

WARNING! A glimpse into Anthony's past, his birth specifically, may be visually disturbing to some viewers. If this bothers you, please skip the first flashback scene. Bakuganman and FanFiction are NOT responsible for any mental harm it may cause and therefore, cannot be sued. (**AN**: For legal reasons, this is a joke.)

* * *

**Chapter 13: It's All Fun and Games, Until a Dragon Gets Heated - Part 2**

"B-Birth?" Asked Rias. She, along with the rest of the ORC, was shocked at what Ddraig just said. This wouldn't make Anthony one of the youngest Sacred Gear users... he now WAS the youngest! But at the same time, it didn't make any sense. Has Ddraig ever seen a baby before? They have no control over their limbs, they didn't know how to use a toilet and they also couldn't see clearly due to their still-developing eyesight... hell, they couldn't form coherent thoughts, which is required to summon a Gear! So HOW? In the BLOODY HELL? Could a FREAKING BABY... USE... A GEAR?!

"That's impossible" Koneko said, bluntly. "That can't be... a baby... can't possibly summon a gear, human or not" said Rias, still trying to process what Ddraig had said. **[Technically Miss Gremory, your right. Demon, Angel, human, dragon... regardless of race, offsprings don't normally have the proper brainpower or the self-awareness required to summon a Scared Gear. Allow me to explain _exactly_ what happened] **said Ddraig.

-FLASHBACK: FRIDAY, APRIL 9th, 1992-

**Ddraig: If you thought Anthony was crazy, you've never met his family and what they went through that day... the day he was born.**

_At 2:21PM, an 80's Monte Carlo rushes down the street in a hurry, with a police car leading the charge and clearing the path. Inside the Carlo, was Mister and Misses Messuri... though the wife was in the back seat, panting up a storm for some reason. "SBRIGATIIIIIIIIII! Guidare più veloce, stronzo!" Cried Misses Messuri before groaning loudly in pain. __"Sto guidando il più veloce che posso, donna. Non è dovuto per altre cinque settimane!" Said Mister Messuri, who wasn't expecting to come home from a hard days work to his wife 'leaking' as soon as he kissed her hello. "ARRRRRRRRGH!... uggggggggh, non più..." hissed Misses Messuri through her teeth, feeling that the child wanted out... and soon!_

_Not even 3 minutes after they kissed each other hello at the house, she started screaming in a way that would rival someone's arm getting cleanly chopped off by a machete. The neighbors thought a fight was going on and called the police. The couple was long gone once law enforcement arrived, though they got a call from dispatch saying an officer pulled the husband over a mile or so away... only for the woman to be in labor! __Putting the law aside, the officer hopped back into his car and lead the Italians to the nearest hospital, sirens blazing. He also called dispatch to tell the hospital to be ready for an incoming emergency._

**Ddraig: Anthony was premature. He was born at 35 weeks... despite my limited knowledge on human anatomy, that's bad... very bad. He was still so underdeveloped, he could fit in the palm of your hand.**

_This was true. After all the screaming and cussing out her husband that 'this is all your fault', Anthony was born... he looked like one of those life-like barbie dolls that eat and pee themselves, only smaller and 'messier' due to obvious reasons. However, despite the cord being cut and the tiny spank on his culo by the nurse, he didn't cry like a normal baby would... something was wrong! They had to get him to the operating room, ASAP!_

**Ddraig: Breathing tubes, surgeries, shots; Anthony had it all. Whatever problem a premature hatchling had, he did. But trying to keep something alive that couldn't breathe or eat on its own wasn't easy... or free. Days turned to weeks, and the young boy wasn't showing much improvement... he was dying before his life began. This confused me at the time. Why would God choose this individual for me? My former host died in a fierce battle, so I'm ****transferred**** to a body that couldn't even function on its own? It made no sense.**

_Months went by and thanks to Mister Messuri's huge salary as a government official, Anthony was kept alive... but not for long. Despite hiring the best doctors money could buy or the most advanced high-tech equipment at the time, preemie's were still difficult to treat... and expensive. The Italian family was losing money faster than they could earn it. With Misses Messuri recovering and Mister Messuri bringing home the money alone..._

**Ddraig: They had to make a decision. Keep delaying the inevitable... or say goodbye. The young boy was dying as it is. It was a tough choice, but the doctors allowed the parents to say their final farewell. I felt bad myself, but what could I do? It's not like I could boost an infants power, that was unheard of and I had no idea what would happen if I tried. **

_In the hospital room, the Italian parents held the tiny baby, using a stethoscope to listen to his heartbeat as long as they could. They cried tears of joy for making a life, but it was also mixed with sorrow since this was the last time they'd ever see him. They prayed to God to watch over their sweet, baby boy as his heartbeat began to slow..._

**Ddraig: Then something unexpected happened...**

_With a tiny flash, a bulky red object appeared on the infants arm. It had horns on the side with a single eye in the middle and a green gem located on the back of the baby's hand. It appeared to be dragon-like. Both Messuri's were stunned with shock... where the fuck did this thing come from? What the hell was it? More importantly, WHY... was it ATTACHED... to their SON?! Before they could think of what to do next, the object glowed brightly, blinding the parents vision. When it subsided, the device was gone from their sons person. Both parents stared at one another, silently asking if they really saw what they really saw._

**Ddraig: It might have been an involuntary reaction, but Anthony managed to summon me somehow. Even I don't know exactly how it happened. The parents then left, lying that they were too emotional... gotta admit, Miss Messuri put on quite the show. What else were they gonna say to the doctors? That their son had a red gauntlet in his body? All that would've gotten them was a 72 hour lockdown in the nearest asylum.**

_The next day, when the doctors went to Anthony's room, they were surprised to find him still alive. It made no sense! How was a baby boy on the verge of death able to still breathe? Looking at his numbers, they were now normal! They must've jumped up overnight! His heartbeat was regular, breathing was normal, pulse was steady... he was going to be ok!_

-END FLASHBACK-

**[It was an unexplainable medical phenomenon, a true miracle. That's when I also realized their must have been a reason I was chosen to be a part of this boys body. The fact still remains that he was the first being in history to use a Sacred Gear at such a young age. Perhaps this is also why he survived, the dragonic energy of the Red Dragon Emperor might have gave his life force the extra push it needed to function on his own... though, I've never had a premature host before, so this is mostly speculation on my part] **said Ddraig, finishing the story.

The ORC fell into silence. Not even Asia was aware of all that, that Anthony's life almost ended before it started. Hearing Ddraig's story, it sounded like luck was on Anthony's side that day. The ORC, even Koneko, starting feeling a little bad... "Sounds like the perv had it rough" she said, feeling a little bad herself after hearing what Anthony had been through in his early years. She had her own family issues... she could somewhat relate. "Poor thing" said Akeno softly, also feeling she could relate. **[Yes. And unfortunately, that was only the beginning**] said Ddraig, suddenly speaking up again and getting everyone's attention.

-FLASHBACK: Anthony's School Years-

_7 years had passed since then and Anthony had grown up. However, he was shorter than most kids his age due to his prematurity, and made fun of because of it. It was minor however, so he didn't let it bother him. He still had a good family and friends, fun teachers and an overall nice childhood._

**Ddraig: He had normal ups and downs like every hatchling did. He was picked on on account of his size... this lead him to met a young Irina Shidou, she was called a boy since she was also underdeveloped and had short hair. He defended her honor and they became fast friends. **

_One day at recess, a young child was playing on her own, minding her own business. She had short chestnut hair and violet eyes, she was a cute girl though she looked like a boy. Two girls approached her, both giggling as they did so. The first girl had short purple hair and a small bust, while the second one had long dirty-blond hair with a slightly larger bust despite her age._

_They made fun of poor Irina about normal things girls shame each other about: legs, nails, clothes, boobs, etc. This caught the attention of Anthony, who was playing his Gameboy Color he snuck into school (his teacher was cool about it though, she didn't mind her students using them when they weren't in actual class). He saw Irina start crying, and seeing the girls tears made his heart bleed. His first reaction was to get his teacher but seeing as how she was busy helping another student who got stung by a bee... maybe he could have a little fun._

_"Didn't your mother teach you and Jen Aniston some matters?" Said Anthony, making his presence known. Both girls tuned to face him, and Irina's eyes widened in surprise. No student, let alone a boy, had ever come to her defense before. "Butt out, shorty. Why don't you go back to catching your little Pokémon?" Said the dirty-blond girl. "As a matter of fact, I think I see 2 Jynx in front of me now. And they can talk! I thought only Meowth could" said Anthony. The girls took this as an insult. They never played Pokémon but they have heard of a certain one that looked like a fat female._

_To them, this boy was calling them fat and ugly! The worst possible names in the book!_

_Irina couldn't help but giggle a bit, she never seen the expressions on these girls faces before, and it was refreshing... also, she was a video gamer herself and knew exactly what Anthony was taking about. "H-How dare you! Y-You... uh... dummy-head!" Said the purple haired girl, mostly cause she was caught off guard that someone was actually standing up to them and couldn't think of anything better to say. "Dummy-head? That's it? You need much better material. Second of all, it looks like Barney gave you a facial, and MISSED!" Said Anthony, continuing his roasting streak._

_While none of them knew (except Anthony apparently) what a facial was, it still had the desired effect and both girls backed off... Anthony was punished, of course. But so were the 2 girls that made fun of Irina, since a few witnesses came forward to tell the principal what happened. Regardless, what Anthony said was inappropriate and still needed reprimanding._

_His parents didn't punish him however. In fact, this got them to get to know Irina's mother and father, both families were like bullets in a barrel. Both children had also became friends ever since, playing video games together on weekends and such._

**Ddraig: And of course, a year later...**

_The fire that Raynare caused burned throughout the evening until firefighters finally put it out hours later. Unfortunately, they were too late to save the victims. An investigation was started, and it was labeled as a murder-suicide due to finding Mister Messuri's body on top of his wife. Although they couldn't explain how some raven feathers survived the blaze, the real truth was buried forever in darkness..._

**Ddraig: For the first time in his life... he felt alone. The church took care of him after that, where he met Miss Argento, but didn't socialize much. He feared that if he got too close to someone... it would happen again. He still had contact with Miss Shidou's family, though limited. Once he recovered from the tramua, he became friends with Miss Argento... a friendship that was definitely needed. After finding himself again, he started trying to get his life back together, which included Miss Shidou ... _(chuckles) _it was basically his first Love Triangle.**

_Irina and Anthony played Super Smash 64 with Asia watching them. Anthony mentioned this girl a few times, but being in the same room with her made the in-training nun feel funny. "Anthony? Can I try?" Asked Asia sweetly, putting a hand in his leg since he was sitting criss-crossed. Before Anthony answered, Irina did it for him. "Why?! You don't even know how to play!" She blurted out. "So? I can learn!" Said Asia. "Guys! Calm down, there's plenty of me to go around. I'll just, get another controller" Said Anthony, dense at what both girls were really fighting about._

_While he was busy going through his game drawer for another controller, he failed to notice sparks flying between both girls' foreheads as they glared at each other._

**Ddraig: _(chuckles)_ He didn't exactly catch onto it either. As he grew closer to Miss Argento... well, I assume she already told you...**

_That day in the garden replays; when Anthony used his Boosted Gear, the same one he activated at birth, to save Asia from Scott. After boosting once, he punched Scott right in the face, the boy slid across the dirt and blacked out as a result. He was also taken to the hospital... the doctors couldn't explain how a single punch could cause so much damage however. They figured he was lying when he said Anthony punched him... no way a young [and underdeveloped] boy could punch like the Hulk, right?_

_Once Scott was released, he noticed that Asia and Anthony were much closer than ever. It was either jealously or curiosity, but Scott made it his mission to spy on both of them whenever he could... he saw Asia enter Anthony's room one stormy night, and neither of them came out until the next morning. A week later, the church "found out" because word spread that Anthony slept with the in-training nun. _

_Everyone at the church community scorned Anthony, calling him a monster and sinner; so much that the faculty could no longer ignore it... but instead of investigating (AKA: actual work), they banished Anthony to save face to the people._

_Asia and Irina were the only ones who tried to defend Anthony; but no one, even Irina's parents who had grown to love Anthony like their own son, paid them any mind. The argument was; since he was older than either girl, they were "easy to manipulate". All 3 friends cried out to each other, tearing streaming down their faces as their hands reached out in vain to grab their friend..._

_For the second time in his life... he was alone again..._

-END FLASHBACK-

**[He was transferred to another orphanage, his past followed him and no one took him seriously or really cared. After a few years of it, he had enough and ran away. The only reason he was able to survive was because an old man took him in, and raised him as one of his own. This experience left a huge impression on Anthony. He didn't want to go to High School, fearing history would repeat itself. After much convincing, he was enrolled at Kouh Academy... the rest, you already know] **said Ddraig revealing Anthony's past in full.

The ORC was definitely rendered speechless now. They had no idea Anthony's life was filled with such turmoil, one thing after another. Yet despite all of that, he still retained the personality they've grown fond of. "I had... no idea..." muttered Rias. In comparison to her life growing up, she was giving everything at hand and foot. But Anthony... he literally and figuratively fought for his life everyday. Things he treasured were taken from him in the blink of an eye. **[Its ironic, isn't it?] **Said Ddraig, getting everyone's attention.** [After everything he went through, all the hardships life threw in his face... he continued on, giving love and support to those around him. How was he repaid? By being outcast like a leper. Any normal human, especially that young, would've given up and wanted to end it all. It's this strength of will and his pure heart is what I think lead me being bound to this boy]** Ddraig said.

Rias ended the training early, seeing as Anthony needed time to recover. As Kiba and Koneko lifted the boys unconscious body, **[Miss Gremory...] **Ddraig spoke, making the Devil look at Anthony's arm. As he spoke, she could feel tears coming down her cheeks.

**[I overheard you both last night... and about the arranged marriage between you and the phoenix. It's despicable, your family forcing you against your will. So as Anthony's partner... and on my honor as a dragon... I will make it my mission to do everything in my power to make sure you win this Rating Game. Anthony truly cares for all of you, which is why he deliberately went over his limit. Your all closest thing he's had to a family in a VERY long time... he won't give it up without a fight, so neither will I. That much, I can promise] **said the Red Dragon.

She felt so relieved. Risers days of harassment will finally be a thing of the past...

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Sbrigati! Guidare più veloce stronzo!:** means "Hurry up! Drive faster, you asshole!"

2) **Sto guidando il più veloce che posso, donna! Non è dovuto per altre cinque settimane: **means "I'm driving as fast as I can, woman! He isn't due for another 5 weeks"

3) **Non Più: **means "not anymore"

Sorry... not many new words to teach you this time around, but our favorite Italian was knocked out. At least we know him a little better thanks to Ddraig. Speaking of which, are you all liking this original version of Ddraig? I know I do, seeing as he interacts with the rest of the ORC more. That's all for now, see you at the Rating Game!


	15. Chapter 15

1A) **Jon:** NOOOOOOOOOOO! No spoilers! NO! NO! LALALALALALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! LALALALALALALA! NON ASCOLTANDO!

1B) **Jon:** This story takes place in an alternate timeline in 2008, the same year the franchise of DxD was born; and Kiba's reaction was saved for this chapter.

2)** Rmarcano321:** Every character has at least one flaw, but I'm too lazy to tell you. Read the books or watch the show and forge your own opinion.

3) **Ace:** Good question. We'll found out Irina's reaction when [and if] we get there. The support I'm getting is nice, but 34 follows/favs is kind of a small fanbase. If by some miracle we get to 40, then perhaps. As said before, I WANT to continue, but if no one's gonna read then what's the point? Plus, I'm also balancing out my YouTube career and this project, so it's allot.

4) **Hellhamer:** He will try. Even though Anthony is becoming stronger, he isn't invincible by any means. Out of those songs, I'll have to say "Cause of Death" is NOT a good choice... just my opinion, but those other 2 are a definite fit to what I envision.

5) **Bro** (from chapter 1): Your new to the site? Well, I'm honored you chose my story to read first.

6) **YUP** (from chapter 2): Thanks, Yup-San! Glad your enjoying it. (**AN:** No idea if I used 'San' correctly.)

7) **54godamora:** I've been to Salem in Boston... it's a nice area actually, but there's always this dark feeling surrounding the place, probably because of the aforementioned events. It's also funny you mentioned Joseph the Elephant Man, I had to do a report on him back in High School.

In other news, the next episode(s) of my DxD reaction is here. But instead of me telling you every time, check my YouTube channel whenever I post a new chapter... or just subscribe to it, whichever you prefer. Enjoy this chapter and the video(s) if you decide to watch it!

* * *

**Chapter 14: It's All Fun and Games, Until a Dragon Gets Heated - Part 3**

After Anthony was brought back to the house, Asia began healing him with her Sacred Gear out of concern, even though this Ddraig character said he'd be fine. Rias just watched on as Asia, Akeno and (surprisingly) Koneko surrounded Anthony. The red-haired devil was still wrapping her head around Anthony's past... he's been through so much in his short 16 years of life. Not only that, she and him were born on the same day... and exactly the same age! What were the actual odds of that happening?

According to Asia, schools back in the states had a much different grading system than Japan did. For starters, there were 4 years of High School as opposed to the 3 ones Japan had, which was probably the reason Anthony was placed in second year instead of third year along with Rias and Akeno. She had asked if Asia knew anything about the old man that Anthony had met, to which the nun replied a sad no. "President?" Came the voice of Kiba, interrupting the Crimson Princess' thoughts. "What is it, Kiba?" Asked Rias, seeing the look of concern on his face.

"It's... about Anthony. I can't help but feel... we have somethings in common about... you know..." said Kiba, his voice drifting off. Rias didn't need him to tell her what he was trying to say. She found the Knight in the woods on the verge of death, the poor blond had no where else to go. Plus, Anthony's loved ones were killed by a psychopath, they had that in common as well. All members stayed with Anthony for the reminder of that day, and into the night. He didn't wake up till the next morning. He offered to make breakfast for everyone, but Rias ordered him to take it easy, which he obeyed.

While it wasn't as divine as his homemade meals, it was a kind gesture the ORC showed Anthony. He appreciated it, especially since Ddraig made himself known again and told Anthony he spilled the pasta to the others about his past. The dragon didn't want to lie to his new host, and much his surprise, Anthony was ok with it (though a little upset that he wasn't the one to tell them). The Italian assured Ddraig that he'd done nothing wrong, the human found it kinda cool that Ddraig helped him as a child.

**_[You misunderstand, I...]_ **Ddraig tried to say. _'You said it yourself, you felt bad, so maybe my body resonated with your spirit to give my lazy ass the push it needed... you saved my life Ddraig, and I'll make it up to you... er, somehow'_ thought Anthony. He had no idea how he could pay Ddraig back for indirectly helping him, but he'll figure it out. **_[If that was true, then I should've helped your family! I'm sorry, Anthony! I should have been stronger, not afraid to give you the power you need to destroy that puttana! I...]_** Ddraig tried apologizing, but Anthony once again cut him off. _'What's done is done, pal. We can't change the past. We were both young. You said God chooses a new host for you everytime your master dies, so its like you become a baby again, right?'_ Thought Anthony, trying to get Ddraig to stop apologizing for something that wasn't his fault.

**_[Uh... well, that's... technically true, when you put it that way. But still! I have a responsibility to protect my master when they become strong enough! I fai...] _**Ddraig tried saying sorry for about the 5th time that day. Anthony stopped him by gently rubbing the gem that appeared on the back of his hand. _'Listen... we were born into the world and everything happened fast. It's not your fault for being unsure what to do, so if it''s not your fault then it's not my fault either...__ agreed?'_ Said Anthony, making Ddraig a "deal", so to speak. After a minute of silence Ddraig spoke up again.**_ [... alright... agreed... thank you...]_** he said, disappearing into Anthony's body again.

How did Ddraig get so lucky to have such an understanding master? This was definitely the best master he'd ever had... he hoped his former wielder didn't hear that since his consciousness was still inside the gear after he died. This also reminded Ddraig of the curse, would Anthony be affected by...? No. He won't allow it. He'll protect Anthony from that kind of power. He WON'T loose another master to the Boosted Gear's power... not again...

-TIME BREAK-

The day of the Rating Game had arrived... technically it wasn't for a few hours, as it was scheduled to began at 9:00AM, SHARP! Looking at his clock, Anthony saw the time was 5:23AM... he just couldn't get back to sleep once he woke up at 4:55. Laying in his bed and staring at the dark ceiling, he heard a knock on his door. "Anthony? Are you awake?" Came the muffled voice of Asia. "Yea... couldn't sleep" he said. "Oh... would you, mind if I come in?" The blond asked. "Go ahead, just don't tell Rias" Anthony joked, hearing a small giggle coming from outside. Speaking of whom, she was downstairs on the couch instead of trying to cuddle with him.

Was Anthony surprised? Yes. Was he disappointed?...

...

...

...

He'd be lying if he said no. What can he say? He's still a guy.

Then again, the poor princess had allot on her mind... she needed time to herself.

Asia entered to room wearing her habit she wore when she was a nun, just lacked the cross for obvious reasons. "Haven't seen you wear that since... ya know" said Anthony. "Yeah... it makes me feel a little more comfortable, Rias said it was ok. She's really nice for a Devil" said Asia. "Yea... to think you and me were taught they were nothing but evil tyrants that buy souls from mortals" said Anthony. "... I don't regret becoming a Devil, Anthony. As long as I'm by your side" said Asia, sitting on the bed with him and leaning against him... and was it just her, or did his chest feel more muscular? It gave her an odd, yet warm feeling. She had to hold back the blush that was forming on her face.

"Heh, Irina was the same way... how were you guys?... Ya know, after I left" asked Anthony. He always wanted to ask Asia this, but never got the chance. Asia stiffened, why did have to ask about _her_ now? It's not that Asia didn't like her, Irina was a sweet girl. In fact; after Anthony 'left', she and Irina got closer and became friendlier towards each other. However, she moved out of town a few years later, and Asia never heard from her since. "Well... she and I cried... allot. But, we started hanging out more... though she moved a few years later. Haven't heard much from her after that" said Asia.

Anthony wrapped an arm around the ex-nun, pulling her closer, and causing the blush she was hiding to get a little deeper. "Well wherever she is, I'm sure she's praying for us... who knows? Maybe God heard her and that's how you ended up here?" Anthony suggested. Asia's eyes widened, she hadn't thought of her transfer here like that before. "I'm sure she's happy, praying for us everyday. Maybe she..."

Smooch.

Anthony's sentence was stopped by Asia kissing his cheek. He didn't expect that. "You were always so sweet, Anthony. Both of us really liked that about you" said Asia, leaning on his shoulder after kissing him. They sat in silence after that, enjoying each other's company. As Anthony sat with Asia, he thought back to the training he had done over the last 10 days... and Rias' crying face, the night before the bird flew in and showed himself. He wouldn't allow him to win... he _can't_, it was out of the question! He looked down at this left palm, and made a fist. _'You saved me, Rias... now, __è il mio turno.'_

-TIME BREAK-

That morning in the club room, the ORC was just awaiting teleportation via magic circle. Koneko was putting gloves on, Kiba was sheathing his sword (Anthony had no idea WHY he took it out, the blond just looked at it with determination and put it away... must be a Knight thing), Akeno made some tea that Rias was also drinking, and Asia just sat next to Anthony while petting Rassei. Anthony did this too, but was mostly paying attention to reading his cookbook... does he EVER stop reading that thing?

"Today's your big day, Rias Gremory. It's your first Rating Game, wouldn't miss this for the world" said Sona, who had walked into the club room with one of her council members. "Um... thanks?... Why is she here again? Her peerage ci aiuterà or is that too much to hope for?" Asked Anthony. "The Rating Games are live broadcast all over the Underworld, plus Sona's also the MC for this match" explained Rias. "No shit? I'm gonna be on TV?" Asked Anthony, then playfully spit into his palms one each and starting touching up his hair, looking up at it as he worked.

Akeno, Asia and the extra council member giggled at Anthony's antic. "I'll do EVERYTHING in my power to make this VERY entertaining... can I also do a post-credits scene of the Turkey with an apple in his mouth? I'll have a bib on and everything" He said, posing with imaginary silverware in his hands while licking his lips. "Kinda debating whether he'd taste better in piccata or milanese" he continued, and that's when Grayfiya appeared. "It's time" she said, bowing upon entry and stepping aside for the Gremory Team to enter the magic circle. "Good luck, Rias. I'll keep watch in the council room" said Sona, beginning to head out.

"Oh... and beat that scumbag 7 ways from Sunday" the Head of the Council said, turning around. "Heh, Sunday? He'll be squawking for the next 3 weeks when we're done with him" said Anthony, confidently. Sona gave the Italian a small smile. "...I have no doubt about that" she answered, exiting the room. Once the ORC and the Ultimate Queen were alone, she spoke to Rias. "Also... Great Devil Lucifer will be watching, I thought you might want to know" she said. This made Rias' eyes widen slightly, not expecting a member of her family to come and watch... ya know, political BS came before their daughters feelings.

"Well, BENE! Now Daddy-O can watch as his badass daughter wipes the floor with King Douchebag himself" said Anthony, but everyone (excluding Asia) gave him a _'the hell are you taking about'_ look. Anthony also felt Ddraig face-claw himself. "What? Lucifer is king of all devils, right? He bumped the headboard an X amount of times and POP! Rias Gremory" said Anthony. "... your thinking of the first Devil King. Sirzechs is the current Devil King... and Miss Gremory's brother" said Grayfia.

That came as a surprise to Anthony and Asia. "Sirzechs lead us through a dark time after the Great War, when the Original Lucifer was killed" said Kiba. This piece of information chilled Anthony and Asia; who were taught in church that Lucifer, in this case the original one, abandoned God for his own power... of course that meant he became a Fallen Angel yet the 2 friends had learned this was a common human mistake... UGH! This stuff was still so confusing! "Well... that explains why Rias is the next heir to the throne" said Asia.

Anthony just looked at Rias with understanding. While his farther was alive, many treated him like a special kid (there were still a few bad apples, of course); the same was now applying to Rias. The ORC then stepped into the magic circle, and once the light flashed before Anthony's eyes...

...

...

...

"... uh? Did we even go dovunque?" He asked, seeing as they didn't teleport out of the room. That changed when he heard Grayfia's stoic voice from the intercom, saying this was a perfect replica of Kuoh Academy. "How?" Asked Anthony. "Look outside" said Rias. Anthony did just that and right in the sky, was some kind of aurora. "... again... how?" said Anthony, still trying to grasp what he was seeing. "It's a dimensional space made just for the game. Since it's not real, we can really do some damage... if we wanted too, we could watch it burn" said Akeno, blushing at her own thoughts of destruction. "Uh... yeah. I'll stick to dancing as I learn" sweatdropped Anthony.

Rias' Team started at the ORC club house, while Riser's was located in the principals office. Before Rias gave out her attack plans, she had Koneko hand out a small glowing orb to everyone. "Eh? What's this thing do?" Anthony had asked, eyeing the ball of light between his fingers... then it flew into his ear and he panicked. "GAH! FARLO USCIRE, FARLO USCIRE, FARLO USCIRE, FARLO USCIRE!" He yelped, digging into his ear with his finger, trying in vain to get the foreign object out.

Akeno and Asia giggled, Kiba chuckled, Koneko was blank. "Anthony! Are you ok?" Asia asked, getting over her laugh and going over to Anthony to try and help... though she had no idea what to do. **[You do realize that was SUPPOSED to go in your ear, right?]** Said Ddraig... why did God chose this kid for him... why? "I don't care if it's supposed to go up my ass! Farlo... uscire!" Anthony answered. **[Will you calm down before you give yourself an ear infection? Think of it as an earpiece that a super-spy uses, that's all it is, just more convenient]** said Ddraig, while Anthony was banging the side of his head with his palm like a kid trying to get water out of his ears. He stopped upon hearing Ddraig's explanation. "Oh... that's some cool Jame's Bond type shit" said the Italian, now standing upright.

He also noticed Rias was just watching him with a smile on her face... she clearly enjoyed the show...

Rias then went over to her desk and pulled out a map of the school. "Riser's base is just across the way. We could cut through the school grounds, but its a risky move" said Rias. "Maybe we could sneak around? Use the back entrance? Asked Kiba. "Good play, but too obvious. He'll see that coming a mile away" said Rias, going over the map for a possible move. She had to come up with something soon, for the longer she waits, the longer Riser gets to take control of the field. Anthony eyed the map carefully as Rias remained silent. After a moment of silence, she was about to make her statement when, **[Why not the gymnasium?]** Asked Ddraig, catching everyone except Anthony off guard. "Exactly... here" said Anthony, tapping the gym's picture. "Sure its piccolo, but its the center of the field. Equal distance between our bases... and best of all, it'll draw his attention" Anthony said.

Rias was surprised but then again, she really shouldn't be at this point. Anthony was good at spotting things that can be exploited... she knew that from personal experience. She nodded at Anthony and Ddraig's suggestion. "Alright... Koneko, Kiba; lay same traps. Once that's done, Koneko will go and secure the gym. Akeno, your illusion magic will be handy for the traps as well as diversions, so be prepared. Asia, you'll need to say at home base here with me, your healing powers will be better suited here than out on the field... Let's move, people!" Ordered Rias, and the directed parties left the room quickly to carry out the commands.

"Hey! You didn't forget your favorite Pawn, did ya?" Asked Anthony, jokingly. "Oh no, Anthony. You have the most important job of all..." said Rias, smiling at him and sitting on the sofa. "Here" she said, patting the cushion next to her. Anthony didn't know what she was up to, but he had to keep a leveled head... the one on his shoulders too. "Oooooookaaaaaaaaaaaay..." said Anthony, sitting next to the crimson-haired girl. "I didn't say, sit" said Rias. "Then what else could you possibly...?" Asked Anthony, looking at Rias... and saw her patting her thighs.

...

...

...

"... no way. Not a good idea."

**_[Don't be rude! The lady wants your head, be a gentleman and let her have it!]_**

_'Chi ti ha chiesto?!'_

"Aw, come on. Can't my _favorite_ Pawn relax with me for just a minute?"

"Not there, he's not."

"So you... don't want to lay down on my lap?"

"NO!... I mean... not that you don't look comfortable, I... wait, that came out wro..."

"Just lie down!"

Rias grabbed Anthony's head and forced him to rest his noggin on her soft lap. Not even his pillows, that were made from the softest material, could compare to this. It's such an overused analogy, but it was like a cloud flying along the breeze. Anthony couldn't see Asia from this angle, but was pretty sure she wasn't exactly feeling the same vibes as he was. He tried getting up, but Rias pushed his head back down... he loved/hated her so much right now.

"So, uuuuuuh... what's this for again?" Asked Anthony. _**[Who cares? This is amazing!]**_ Cried Ddraig. "Oh, I'm feeling kind of nervous... so I figured having a strong, handsome dragon nearby who also happens to be the BEST Pawn in the world would ease the stress" said Rias, wearing her BS-ing smile. "Yeah, THAT'S why" Anthony sarcastically remarked, not daring to look up at her. The angle of his vision was enough to get his mind moving in... other directions. And it didn't help that he dragon had already fell for it. **[Your wish is our command, Miss Gremory]** said Ddraig, a little too energetically. "Well, if you both like it that much, all you have to do is ask" said Rias. "Don't tease him, prez; please" begged Anthony.

"We're ready" came the voice of Akeno, freaking Anthony out at first but realizing it was probably the magic ball in his ear. Rias responded to swiftly... by getting up so fast, Anthony landed right on his nose. "Ow... one order of Twilight, please?" He mumbled while holding his nose.

-TIME BREAK-

Koneko and Anthony snuck into the gym, being as quiet as possible. "Can't believe I'm stuck with the perv..." said Koneko, as she and Anthony snuck in through the side. "It could be worse... we could be stuck in a room with a tiger" commented Anthony. **[Technically, you are right now]** said Ddraig, making Koneko twitch slightly. "What? Di cosa stai parlando?" Asked Anthony, not understanding what Ddraig was talking about. **[Ugh... never mind... idiot]** groaned Ddraig. "Hey! How am I an idiot?... hello?... Hello! I know you can hear me!" Anthony said, tapping the back of his hand to try and contact Ddraig. Koneko relaxed upon hearing this, if anyone found out her secret...

"I smell with my little nose... 2 Gremory's" said a female voice. Knowing that stealth was no longer an option, the Pawn and Rook walked out. "That... was just horrible. You need to work on your nursery rhymes... I know this creepy old dude in the woods that can help" said Anthony. "Well, look at this... Rias Gremory sent us a Pawn and a Rook" said a girl, dressed in a cheongsam and completely ignored Anthony. She was accompanied by 3 more girls, 2 of them were obviously twins. The second girl wore a white haori with a red obi, also carrying a wooden staff; and the 2 twins wore Kuoh Academy's gym uniform.

"I'm Mira, a Pawn of Phenex" said the girl with the staff. "I'm Xulean, a loyal Rook" said the cheongsam girl. "We're Ile and Nel..." said one of the twins. "And we're also Pawns!" Said the second twin.

"The Rook... her aura suggests she's on par with a Queen" said Koneko. "Seriously? How's that fair?" He asked... then got a better look at his opponents. "Second of all, is this a Rating Game, or a maledetto Anime/Gaming Convention? We got Chun-Li from _Street Fighter_, Leo and Luna from _5D's_, and Mira... the hell you dye your hair for? Orange suits you better, plus its sexier" he said without any hesitation, pointing to each individual(s) of his roast. The girls did look surprised by this, they clearly didn't expect it.

"Jeez, I knew we were out-birded, but not out-weebed... let's just do this thing, I got a wedding to cancel. It's boosting time!" Anthony continued, holding his hand and summoning the Boosted Gear.

**[BOOST!]**

"Those Pawns are yours... I'll try my luck with the Rook" said Koneko, pulling back her gloves a bit. "Aw! I wanted to smash the Rook" joked Anthony. "Oh, please. I wouldn't smash you, even if you were the last Pawn on earth" said Xulean. "Good thing we aren't there anymore. Why don't we get a dorm room? Show you how a REAL stallion rolls in the hay?" Said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

"Tempting... but I'll have to decline. I REALLY don't like horses... especially human ones" said Xulean, shooting back at Anthony. "I'll tell ya straight up; humans are softer... gentler... and MORE filling, than a third-person parakeet" said Anthony. "Quit horsing around. I'll take the Rook" repeated Koneko. Anthony then ruffled her hair, scratching _that spot_ again... it felt good, but Koneko needed to focus. "Listen Koneko, it's not you, its me... I really think Vivian Wong and I can be a great couple..." he said.

**[BOOST!]**

Once that happened, Anthony winked at the younger student. She stared at him with confusion for a second, but then realized with he was doing... he was stalling as much as he possibly could before they started fighting, so he could increase his own power. Smiling, she began to play along. "What about me? Am I not good enough?" She asked, faking anger with a frown and pout, also turning her back on him. "What? No! NOOOOOO! That's not it at all!" Cried Anthony, melodramatically.

"I thought you liked me."

"I do like you! It's just..."

"It's because she's bigger than me, isn't it?"

"NOOOOOO!... I mean, she does hav... NOOOOOO! I like mine small, I prefer them over a pair of gunboats!"

**[BOOST!]**

Normally the Phenex Clan would have wiped the floor with any challenger by now... just not a single one has ever done this before a battle, it caught the girls off guard. "What are... they doing?" Asked Mira, with a confused look on her face. "Arguing apparently... over me" said Xeulean, assuming that's what Koneko and Anthony were doing. "Wow... and I thought you two were bad, arguing who gets to cuddle with Riser every night" said Mira to the twins. "We do not!" Said Ile. "Yeah! Ile always complains about it more!" Said Nel, making the second twin snap her head towards her sibling. "Huh? I do not!" Said Ile.

"Yes you do."

"Do not!

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

The twins began bickering like spoiled siblings. Mira facepalmed and groaned.

**[BOOST!]**

"Please, baby! Yours are perfect the way they are! I SWEAR!" Anthony 'cried', he was on his knees now. "... really? You mean it?" Asked Koneko are a few seconds of silence and turning back around to face Anthony. "YES! I do! I'm so sorry! The power of this thing makes me perverted and I wasn't thinking! Can you EVER forgive me-hehe!" Anthony begged, groveling at Koneko's feet and still 'crying'. "... tell you what, take out all 3 Pawns yourself, and I'll consider it" she said. "Well, I am feeling a little excited after all that foreplay... alright, let's soffocare alcuni polli" said Anthony, punching his open fist.

**[I prefer mine extra crispy]** said Ddraig. "Ok; I'll start the marinate, Ko will beat the meat, and we'll deep fry them in my special blend of herbs and spices" said Anthony, boosting one last time with a confident look on his face. This was it. It was far from his first battle, but it WAS his first Rating Game... and he was gonna win! He and Koneko ran forward, ready to make their club president proud!

* * *

A little short and nothing exciting happened, but the awaited fight with Riser's peerage will begin next chapter. How will it go? All I can say is it'll be one hot battle, but it'll also show a vulnerability in Anthony. This flaw that will show itself has never been done in any High School fanfic I've ever read (and I've read ALLOT of them, both here and on wattpad), so you can bet your meatballs it'll be a fresh flavor to the community. What is this weakness you ask?... You'll have to tune in and see for yourself. Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya next time!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Non Ascoltando:** means "not listening"

2) **è il mio turno:** means "it's my turn"

3) **Ci Aiuterà:** means "gonna help us"

4) **Piccata:** a type of noodle

5) **Milanese:** a type of breading used on meat

6) **Bene:** can mean "good", "great", "ok", etc.

7) **Dovunque:** means "anywhere"

8)** Farlo Uscire:** means "get it out"

9) **Piccolo:** means "small"

10) **Chi Ti Ha Chiesto:** means "who asked you"

11) **Di Cosa Stai Parlando:** means "what are you talking about?"

12) **Maledetto:** means "goddamned"

13) **Soffocare Alcuni Polli:** means "choke some chickens"


	16. Chapter 16

Been a long while, eh guys? Sorry for the wait, but now the Rating Game between Rias and Riser can continue! I'm also quite surprised, we got 40 follows/favs now. So as promised, a sequel MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY be closer to being released. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's just start the shout-outs then enjoy the chapter. Your gonna love it, I promise!

1A) **Thomassmith69**: I see your point, I didn't take into consideration that someone would listen to the fic rather than read it. To compromise, I will cut back on Italian speech just a little bit. However, Anthony is a stereotypical Italian, and they start balling out random shit in said language when they get annoyed/angry/etc. (I am guilty of this crime on multiple counts) Plus, it's part of Anthony's character and one of his natural charms; and it teaches my readers a new language, so it's a win-win scenario. An original idea that people can learn from.

1B) **Thomassmith69**: Anthony is not a Devil, just a reincarnated human. He has gotten stronger and sure he can promote himself, but since he didn't reincarnate properly he has a few weaknesses, one of which will be revealed this chapter... best part, it's an original weakness that not a single writer on this site has done yet (according to my research, that is)!

2) **54godmora**: HA! Nice reference to Frieza's Death Ball that lasted WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too long. It won't be that long, I promise. Just this chapter and the next one, which will be the one-on-one between Riser and Anthony.

3) **Rmarcano321:** "How much will the characters get?"... I don't exactly understand this question. What do you mean? More powers? More problems? More relationships? Ya gotta be a little more specific, bud.

* * *

**Chapter 15: It's All Fun and Games, Until a Dragon Gets Heated - Part 4**

While Anthony and Koneko were trying to take control of the gym, 3 more of Risers Pawns' headed for the Gremory home base. The odd thing about this was there was fog for some reason...

BLAM!

A magic circle shot a spear of demonic power straight for the 3 Pawns, but it missed them due to their speed. "What a lame trap, did they really think that would work against seasoned players like us?" Asked one of the Pawns. "As to be expected from Rating Game Virgins" said another Pawn as they continued through the fog, avoiding more spears of energy all the way.

_Back at the gym..._

**Anthony**: _(flinches for an unknown reason)_ Ugh...

**Ddraig**: _**[What's wrong?]**_

**Anthony**: _(looks at Ddraig's gem for a quick second)_ Nothing, I just got a little ch... FUCK!

Anthony had to avoid a wooden staff from being shoved through his head. He normally would have tried to grab it, but the sudden chill threw him off his game. Meanwhile, Koneko was fighting her hardest against Risers powerful Rook. For a Rook, she was quite fast... not as fast as a Knight, but faster in terms of Koneko's speed. Her attack patterns involved allot of fiery punches and burning kicks in rapid succession. However, Koneko manged to catch her leg when Xeulean tried roundhouse kicking her, countering with a punch right to her cheek... it sent her 5 feet backward, and it took all the strength in her legs to stabilize herself. Koneko was far from done however, and rammed into the older woman, knocking her down and she struggled to stand back up.

Anthony punched Mira down with his Boosted Gear, when he heard the commotion between the 2 Rooks and saw the end result. "WOOOOOT! Go, Hello Kit... GAH!" Cheered Anthony, but didn't count on Mira getting back up as quickly as she did. Due to Anthony's distraction, she jabbed him right in the gut as hard as she could. Anthony ended up skidding into a wall, cracking it in impact. The poor Italian held his aching stomach area... damn, and he just had breakfast too. **_[Just like chess, you have to pay attention in Rating Games]_** Ddraig said. "Kinda hard to do that... when I'm an pezzo reale" Anthony, slowly recovering. He then heard the sound of motors some reason. Turning to his right, he saw the twins with devilish smiles on their faces...

...

...

...

"GAAAAAAAAAAH-HAHAHAAAAAAAAA!" Anthony screamed like a girl, running away from the twins who were reeving chainsaws and running at him, giggling! Fighting fists and staffs were one thing...

"What are you running from, pretty boy?" Asked Nel. "We only wanna CHAINSAW you a question" said Ile. "Unless you have an AXE to grind with me, that made no sense!" Yelled Anthony, still running from the deadly duo. While Anthony was running away, Mira had circled around and gotten in front of Anthony, ready to jab him again! The Italian had to jump and do a split in midair to avoid the attack. "Phew... Pesca's yoga paid off" said Anthony, as he once did yoga with Pesca (against his will) before meeting the ORC... pure torture... that's all he could describe it as, but it seems to have some advantages.

"SLICE AND DICE, SLICE AND DICE, SLICE AND DICE!" Cheered the twins, running at Anthony again, this time with FLAMING chainsaws! Both swung their motorized tools, and Anthony had to strike several different poses to avoid the attacks. First, he posed like an Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic of a Pharaoh to avoid diagonal slices; then, he did a swan ballet move to dodge frontal and side swipes; finally, he a tree pose from yoga to evade another side swipe alone with one from behind. "Stop moving, asshole!" said Ile. "We only wanna cut you" said Nel. "No grazie, Phil and Lil; I like my head where it is!" Said Anthony, as he landed.

Despite increasing his power, this wasn't working... Anthony had to think of a different play, but what? Playing a board game and BEING the game piece itself were two different things, and these 3 he was dealing with had much more experience than he did. He looked over at Koneko, she was evenly matched up with the Rook, but who knew how long that would last? The fight between them cold go either way.

_**[Anthony, try this. It should help]**_ said Ddraig and somehow, a magic circle appeared on Anthony's left palm. "A spell? W-What's it do?" He asked his dragon, while looking at the spell circle. **_[It's a Special Move. Just lock onto your targets by physically tapping them. Once you've made your selection, snap your fingers and they'll stop dead in their tracks]_** Ddraig explained. "Ooooooooh... so this will paralyze them?" Asked Anthony, both amazed and intrigued. He didn't realize his dragon had access to magic spells as well. And since he's none other than Ddraig, the Heavenly Dragon who could harm even Gods... it HAD to be good. **_[... something like that]_** Ddraig stated.

"HA! CALCI NEL SEDERE!" Anthony said, regaining his confidence and turning around quickly; running towards the twins without hesitation, surprising them. "Your first, rugrats!" Said Anthony. Taking a leap, he grabbed both twins' shoulders and pushed down as hard as he could. Due to the boosts from earlier, this caused them to hurtle to the ground quickly and make a dent in the court.

As they began to get up, they didn't notice a tiny magic circle on their shoulders that slowly began to fade away...

Mira was about to attack him again, yelling as she struck. Anthony caught the wooden stick with the Boosted Gear, a mere inch before it made contact with his face. "Oooh, someone's got some morning wood" said Anthony before he snapped the stick in half by clutching it even harder. Mira's eyes widened in shock. "It... it broke?" She stuttered. Her staff was made with Australian Buloke... the HARDEST wood to break! Heck, it's used in baseball bats for this reason alone! But yet this human was about to snap it in half like drywall! She had no time to react when Anthony shot past her and clutched her shoulder, the same magic mark slowly fading. "3 down... one to go..." said Anthony, his eyes now set on the 2 Rooks still duking it out.

Despite Koneko's best attempts to overpower the opposing Rook, she and her were evenly matched. This could be over if she... no, she can't. She already lost someone for that. While she was thinking this, this moment of distraction was enough for Xeulean to exploit, sending a upwards kick that Koneko barely dodged. The freshmen's uniform was sliced clean down the middle, one half now incinerated and leaving her half-exposed. "Your done!" Said Xeulean, rushing forward to finish the job.

...

...

...

"No penso così!" Anthony had rushed in front of Koneko and held the Rook back... damn, she was like a wall. Koneko of course, was surprised at this. He rushed over to protect her, despite all the crap she gave him ever since he started. "Not bad... for a Pawn... what the...?" Said Xeulean. She was held back Anthony and she was about to throw him across the room (and possibly knock him out due to her Queen-Level strength), but she noticed a tiny glow on one of her arms as the human stopped her.

"NOW, DDRAIG!"

**[EXPLOSION!]**

Unleashing all the power he stored at once, Anthony managed to shove Xeulean off him, allot stronger than Koneko did to her earlier. So much so, she began rolling on the floor and hit the basketball pole on the opposite side of the court, bending it upon impact. Anthony turned his neck to Koneko, ignoring the ripped shirt (didn't mean he didn't notice and... appreciate the view). "You ok?" He asked. Koneko was still stunned by his act of bravery and kindness, she didn't respond right away. "I could've handled it... but thanks" she thanked. Anthony then gave her a wink and a thumbs up. "And I got to smash the Rook after all."

All 4 of Risers pieces began to get back up, not wanting to quit. There was no way they'd lose to newbies! "We can't lose... to a mere human..." said Ile. "Yeah... Riser'll be really pissed... then he won't cuddle with anyone tonight!" Said Nel. "_*snort*_ And that's a punishment?" Anthony sarcastically remarked. That was the last insult Riser's harem would take from the Italian. They all mentally agreed they'd kill him first, THEN the kid. "BASTARD!" They all yelled at Anthony, running toward him and Koneko. Motors revving, palms flaming and a half of a staff glowing; the enraged females charged.

Koneko was about to take a battle stance, but Anthony waved her off. "Ddraig has a Special Move that'll paralyze them. Remember the recipe: I marinate..." said Anthony, his Gear glowing with power. At the same time, so did the afflicted targets he tagged with magic circles, making them look at their glowing bodies in confusion. "Now to peel back the skin, and beat some meat!" Said Anthony, snapping his fingers and...

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" (4x)

**_P.O.V Swap: Sona_**

Sona was unamused at what she was seeing... and quite honestly, didn't expect Anthony to do something so... drastic. He didn't seem like the type of guy... guess you never really know a person. "What a freak... that's just crude" was all the council member sitting next to Sona had to say. "Crude, but effective. Nothing'll paralyze a girl quicker than her clothes magically ripping off..." said Sona.

That... and there was currently no rule against it, so it's not like she could disqualify him on any legal grounds...

**_Main P.O.V:_**

...

...

...

Anthony had no words, nor a comeback ready for what he was seeing. He just stood there, mouth agape... he didn't mean peel the skin back, LITERALLY! Koneko normally would have knocked him into next week, but due to the surprise on his face, it was clear even to her that Anthony had no idea this would happen.

"... what... the hell... WAS THAT?!" Roared Anthony, his face partially inches from the gem on his Gear upon yelling at Ddraig. **[What? It paralyzed them, didn't it?]** Asked Ddraig. "Um, NO! THAT! Is NOT! PARALYSIS!" Anthony screamed while pointing to the affected girls, his voice cracking due to the volume he was using. **[What did you expect me to do? A bolt of lightning? I'm a dragon; not a striped, yellow rat!]** said Ddraig.

**Mira:** Dirtbag!

**Ile:** Cock-Muppet!

**Nel:** How could you!

**Xeulean:** Your sick!

"I-I-It's not my fault! HE did it!" Defended Anthony, pointing to his gauntlet. "Yeah, real funny, asshole!" Said Mira. "And you call yourself a man?" Said Xeulean. It seemed none of Riser's pieces believed him... frankly, Anthony couldn't blame them. Blaming his arm wasn't exactly his most proudest moment. "NON SONO STATO IO! Ugh, Ddraig? What the fuck was that anyway?" Asked Anthony, defending himself again before asking Ddraig what was going on. **[It's called Dress Break... for obvious reasons. My former master created it]** explained Ddraig. Anthony was not amused with this information. "_*Sigh*_... now I know your making him up" he said. **[What?... No! NOOOOOOO! I SWEAR! I had nothing to do with its creation!]** Said Ddraig.

"Then why did you ACTIVATE IT?!"

**[I thought it would help!]**

"Help who? YOU?!"

**[NO! Since it's your first game, I thought I'd make it easier!]**

"BY TEARING CLOTHES OFF?!

**[NO! TO SAVE YOUR STRENGTH FOR RISER!]**

"What are you both yelling about?" Asked the voice of Rias in Anthony's ear, specifically a magic circle that formed around his ear. It freaked him out for a second until he realized how he was able to hear his King. "Ugh, niente. Niente affato. Gym's secured. Is Akeno in position yet?" Said Anthony, while pinching the bridge of his nose. "AND HE TORE OUR CLOTHES OFF!" Said Mira, seeing the magic circle and deducing it was his master Anthony was speaking too. "JUST WAIT TILL THE HIGHER UPS HEAR ABOUT THIS!" Yelled Xeulean. "Aw, you ripped their clothes? Such a naughty boy" Rias joked. "Is she in position or not?" Anthony repeated while groaning, not wanting to deal with this right now. "Yes, she's just outside. Good work, by the way... maybe I'll reward you after the game" Rias slyly said, much to Asia's chagrin.

Anthony was tempted to playfully flirt back, but seeing as he just got a taste of Perv Power and he knew Asia was in the same room...

He and Koneko left the building quickly, and it exploded seconds later. **"3 of Riser's Pawns, and 1 of Riser's Rooks... Retired"** came the voice of Sona. "Boom. Hehe" said Akeno, who had struck the gym with a large bolt of lightning... and was blushing about it. "Damn, she's badass... wait, Retired?" Asked Anthony, unfamiliar and confused with the term. "It means their dead" Koneko simply stated. It bothered Anthony that she was so calm about it. "WAIT?... DEAD?! LIKE RALLY DEAD?! WHAT THE FUCK! I DON'T WANNA DIE FOR SOMEONE'S ENTERTAINMENT! I'M A HIGH SCHOOLER, NOT A FUCKING GLADIATORE!" Cried Anthony. This was NOT what he signed up for! Why would Rias, let alone Devils, be ok with killing each other like this?

**[Calm down. Being Retired just means their removed from the gaming field. They're transported out of this dimension and treated ****appro...****]** Ddraig explained, stopping mid-sentence, confusing the Pawn and Rook. "Ddraig? What's...?" Anthony began to ask, but Ddraig cut him off with: **[GET BACK!]**

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The warning came too late. Anthony was knocked back due to the force of the blast... because he wasn't the target. "KONEKO!" He shouted as fire blocked his vision of the first-year. "ANTHONY! ANTHONY, TALK TO ME! WHAT HAPPENED TO KONEKO?" Asked Rias, having heard (and felt the aftershock of) the explosion from home base. Asia was now a wreck, she could only stare blankly into space at what just occurred. Once the fire cleared, Koneko was limp on the ground. Anthony heard some laughing above and looking, saw the same woman Riser was making out with the day he introduced himself. It was his Queen. "Heh... that's one" she said, heartlessly.

Anthony immediately ran to Koneko, picking her up and promising to get her to Asia to heal her... but she faded away in a sea of sparkles, slipping through Anthony's fingers. All he could do was stare in shock at where the young girl was not even half a second ago. **"1 of Rias' Rooks... Retired"** said Sona's voice. Although Anthony was just told Koneko wasn't dead, seeing her being engulfed in flames reminded him... of _her_, and what she did to him. "You... you bitch. You killed her!" He said to Riser's Queen. "Hmhm, yes. That was the point. And here I thought you knew how to play chess" said the woman. "Oh-ho, I KNOW how to play. Come down here and find out!" Anthony threatened.

"Anthony. Yubelluna is too powerful, she's Riser's Queen, get out of there and..." Rias said, but Anthony didn't want to hear it. "Yeah... and his puttana" he growled.** [Miss Gremory is right, Anthony. Even with the Red Dragon Emperor, your current abilities are not even close to her own power. You need to run]** Ddraig warned. "You should listen to your pet, little boy. If you play with fire, you get burned!" Said Yubelluna, forming a ball of fire in her hand. Seeing it, Anthony froze. The color reminded him so much of the one that robbed him of his childhood. The Queen threw it at him, only for it to be fizzled out by a lightning bolt.

"Well that's not very nice, messing around with my cute Kohai. Anthony, I'll take care of the trash, you met up with Kiba" said Akeno, floating down from above. Anthony wanted to stay and help, but Rias repeated herself to go met with Kiba... and that was an order. Having no choice, Anthony complied. He prayed to God that Akeno would be ok... or should he pray to Satan? He forgot this as quickly as he thought about it.

-TIME BREAK-

Kiba had already taken out 3 more of Riser's Pawns. That made the total number of his remaining pieces 9, yet Rias still had 5. Rias' next plan of attack was nuts and Anthony/Ddraig didn't think it was a wise play, but since the original plan was to have Akeno take out multiple pieces, now Riser had sent out his own Queen so she was needed there. Instead, Rias would launch a sneak attack on Riser himself and hope she could take him out. Just like with regular chess, if the King falls... Game Over. So it was Kiba's and Anthony's job to lure as many of Riser's remaining solider's as possible away from their home base.

"Alright, let's show this Whoremonger what the Occult Research Club can really do" said Anthony. "Balls to the wall" agreed Kiba.** [Heh, and you said Freed had a mouth]** joked Ddraig. "Even a Knight has his moments" said Kiba, smiling. He and Anthony went outside to look for more of Riser's pieces and sure enough, all of them where currently in front of the ORC's home base. One of them, a Knight, had charged at Kiba, claiming she had gotten bored of sitting around. "Swords, swords, swords... that's the only thing on Karlamine's head, its freaking ridiculous" said the girl with swirly pigtails. Anthony recognized her immediately.

"Hey! Tweety, how ya doing?" Anthony 'said', making conversation. "Oh, its you... Anthony, was it?... Why Rias didn't just discard you after you failed to reincarnate is beyond me" said the girl. "You were there when I told him, she and me had AMAZING times together" Anthony joked, bringing up the 'affair' he had with her. "Yeah... sure you did... What am I even looking at? She has the worst taste in boys" said the girl, looking up and down at Anthony. Honestly, she saw no reason how Rias would even CONSIDER sleeping with this guy, even IF it was true... he was cute, sure... but not 'hide the cucumber until it becomes a pickle' material.

"Of course you'd think that. My heart bleeds out to you and the rest of your sisters, Tweety; Riser really screwed up your brain screwing you" Anthony said, holding his 'bleeding' heart. The girl was now getting a little annoyed, this guy was worse than her brothers ego. "For your information, I have a name. It's Ravel" said Tweety, revealing herself to be Ravel. Looking around, Anthony was surrounded by the remaining members of Riser's team... he had a few words for them. "... ok. Did Jason give you that hockey mask, because it looks so stupid without the other half. Did my favorite Fire Emblem character Ike go through a sex change?... And who ordered the Catwoman/Sailor Moon combo?... Riser's got some weird fetishes" he said.

No sooner did he say that, the woman with the half mask took him on. Anthony dodged, but got punched in the shoulder... the power behind it told Anthony she was Riser's second Rook. She went about him again, but she wasn't as fast as the first Rook so he was about to dodge easily.

**[BOOST!]**

The Rook threw another punch, but Anthony blocked it with his arm. She tried again with her other arm as she back up and tried again, but got the same result.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony ended up punching her back. It wasn't too strong with only 2 Boosts, but it was enough to catch the Rook off guard. She wiped her face. "Not bad, Rias trained her human pet well" said the Rook. "Trust me, your punches don't tickle either. But I've worked too long and too hard to lose" said Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

"Nothing gonna stop me from winning this game! Not even Jason's mommy!" Anthony said. "How noble, you make me want to cry" the Rook said, rushing to Anthony again. That was a mistake on her part, because Anthony unleashed a Dragon Shot... at point blank range. The Rook was engulfed by the beam of dragon energy, and disappeared in a flash of sparkles. "Isabela!" Ravel called out. **"1 of Risers Rooks... Retired"** said Sona.

Out of the corner of Anthony's eye he saw Kiba fight Karlamine. His sword got sliced off by Karlamine's fire sword. In response, the hilt of Kabia's sword grew into a sword of ice to freeze Karlamine's flame sword. After her sword was rendered powerless, she pulled out a dagger of fire to melt the ice sword; which Kiba countered by the hilt becoming a sword that sucked in air to nullify the burning dagger. "You've got to be kidding! How could you have 3 Sacred Gears?" Asked Karlamine. "Oh, its not that. I simply make them at my will" said Kiba, touching the ground, summoning 10 swords underneath Karlamine that she only had a mere second to evade.

Any slower, she would have Retired.

"Shit. Now that's a Blacksmith perk I need" said Anthony. **[How interesting. He appears to possess Sword Birth, a Gear that can create an almost unlimited number of Demonic swords]** said Ddraig, impressed. "Well, that's fair. He gets to make as many toys as his heart desires, and I get a horny reptile as a pet" Anthony joked. Ddraig then became emotional.** [I'm sorry, its not my fault! I'm so ashamed!]** The dragon cried.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

That explosion felt close... too close to be the fighting Queens'. Looking toward the direction of the sound and aftershock, he saw on the school roof... "Rias? Asia? Riser?" Anthony asked. "He must have anticipated our move" said Kiba. "Crimson Princess... Twilight Healing... Priestess of Thunder... Sword Birth... and now, Boosted Gear. Grand names, sure. But we are Phenexs'... immortal birds that rise from our ashes. You never had a chance at beating us, and never will!" said Ravel. As soon as Ravel finished her speech, Anthony was attacked nimbly by the 2 cat girls.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony tried to counter, but one of the twins jumped on his head. The other started punching his gut rapidly. "A human like you can't defeat Phenexs' like us" said one of the twins. "Maybe this will help you think clearly!" Said the second twin, roundhouse kicking Anthony in the back of the head and making him fall flat on his stomach. He rolled over to try and fight back, but Riser's remaining Knight was about to slice him in two, so he rolled back over quickly. Kiba couldn't help because he was still busy with the Knight he was currently fighting.

**[BOOST!]**

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

An explosion of fire covered Anthony's view of the school roof, and he became concerned. "RIAS! ASIA!" Cried Anthony, as he dodged a sword swipe from the Knight. "We're fine, Anthony. I manged to block it. Just focus on your battle, I'll focus on mine" said Rias from the magical earpiece. **[I felt that blast from within the Gear, you may want to ****reconsider****. Take Miss Argento and run] **suggested Ddraig. "We'll be fine, Ddraig. I assure you. I believe in you both, show them what you've showed me the last 10 days! Show them your real power! Your servants of Rias Gremory!" Said Rias, firing Destruction Magic at Riser, but he blocked it with his own power. "This is the worst foreplay Riser's ever been involved in. It would be so much easier if you resign and be his wife!" Said Riser, launching his own attack, which Rias blocked again.

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

While Ddraig and Rias conversed, Anthony ran from flaming punches from punches from the cats. Hearing the conversation made him realize something... all his life, he ran away from one problem, but it wold only be replaced by another. First Raynare's fire, then the church, then an orphanage, now this... every time he fled, something else would rear its ugly head. He thought at this hard as the Knight rushed forward to behead our favorite Italian.

**[BOOST!]**

Turning around quickly, Anthony stopped the deadly blade with his Sacred Geared arm. The wind generated form the blow was intense, but Anthony held his ground. "No way! He blocked Siris!" Said Ravel, surprised at this, as well as everyone else. After a few more seconds, Anthony's Gear boosted again; and with newfound strength, the human knocked the giant blade away along with the woman attached to it. "...I'm done running..." Anthony began. What he didn't notice was as he spoke, his Sacred Gear began blinking again just like it did with Raynare.

"I've ran for so long... "

His gear blinks quickened.

"Problems always follow me..."

His gear blinks quickened again.

"They always punch me in the viso..."

His gear blinks quickened even faster.

"But no more! It's time I punched back! I'm a human Pawn of Rias Gremory, and I won't let her marry some self-absorbed, oven-gold turkey breast! I WON'T FAIL A FAMILY AGAIN!"

FLASH!

The light coming off of Anthony was blinding, that's to say nothing of the power he began to generate! In fact, Riser/Rias/Asia and even the Duo Queens' who were on the opposite side of the battlefield felt the change in Anthony's power; and looked in his direction. What was happening? They've never seen anything like this before! "Come on, Ddraig! We need to be at our best! We need more power! Do what you promised Rias... LET'S WIN THIS GAME, AND HER FREEDOM!" Shouted Anthony, and in response... **[DRAGON BOOSTER! LIBERATION!]**

FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

A enormous beam of green, dragonic energy shot out of Anthony and into the air, blowing wind and dirt away form the source of the disturbance. Suddenly, Anthony saw his Gear morph into a brand new form! The most notable change was it extend more down his arm, and it grew a second jewel in the back. claw-like thorns also grew around the wrist area, and on the very back grew long spikes that resembled horns. "It... transformed?" Asked Ravel, now starting to get nervous. "That's not... a Balance Breaker, is it?" Asked Siris, shocked at what was going on. "Whoa... it changed..." said Anthony, just as confused as everyone else.

**[Congratulations, Anthony. Your pure heart and strength of will has activated the full power of the Boosted Gear. Now you have unlocked a new ability that can turn this battle around]** said Ddraig. Now that Anthony thought about it, and really felt what was in his arm now, he DID feel stronger. But what was this new ability Ddraig spoke of? "Its not Dress Break - Level 2, is it?" He asked, just to be sure. The dragon chuckled in response. **[No. Trust me, its not. I think you'll like this new Special Move. Have Mister Kiba attack you with everything he's got, you'll see what I mean]** said Ddraig.

"Attack me?..." Anthony repeated, not sure if he heard correctly. But has the dragon ever steered him wrong before? Looking at Kiba... "You heard the lizard, let me have it!" Said Anthony, arms opened wide like he was waiting for a hug. Kiba was confused at first, but Anthony was known for unorthodox strategies if his chess matches were anything to go by. Smiling, the Knight unleashed all his remaining power directly at Anthony. Riser's peerage couldn't due anything for 2 reasons:

1) They were still stunned at Anthony achieving a new level of power.

2) No one in their history of playing Rating Games has EVER attacked their own teammate, so it caught them off-guard.

Swords began shooting towards Anthony. **[Hit the ground, and Boost it! NOW!]** Ddraig ordered. In response (and hoping Ddraig knew what he was doing), Anthony punched the ground just like Ddraig had instructed. "Here goes! BOOST!" Said Anthony, the gems on his newly evolved Sacred Gear glowing brightly as he did so. **[TRANSFER!]** Said Ddraig. Just like with Explosion, Anthony felt the power leave his body, but was surprised when more swords... and larger ones... started popping out of the ground like daises. Ravel flew away, just barely managing to avoid the giant sword from piercing her body... her teammates weren't as lucky. **"5 of Riser's Pieces; 2 Pawns, 2 Knights and 1 Bishop... Retired"** said Sona's voice.

Inside, she was impressed. But this was a Rating Game, so she had to stay professional. At least Anthony kept his promise and made this game entertaining.

Riser looked down at the field in absolute bewilderment. A mere human, took out 5 of his pieces... IN ONE BLOW?! This couldn't be! "Well, this must be embarrassing for you, isn't it? A Dirt-Class human, taking on 5 pieces at once?... Must be losing your touch" said Rias, her confidence now restored. Thanks to Anthony and Ddraig, Riser was dealt a mighty blow! He only had one Bishop and his Queen along with himself remaining on the field. Rias was in the lead!

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

That scream was so loud, Anthony could hear it. He recognized the voice, and Sona's only made it worse: **"Rias Gremory's Queen... Retired"** said the Council head, and even she wasn't able to hold the sadness in her voice. Just when Rias' newest member turned the table, Riser turned it right back around. Now Rias lost her most powerful game piece. "I will admit, you've gotten far my dear. But Riser think it'll be best of you just resign" said Riser. "Resign THIS!" Yelled Rias, firing another beam of Destruction Magic, and it was faster this time. "ARGH!" It ended up scorching Riser's face off... until his flames surrounded Rias', he was regenerating from the wound! "Heheheh, you don't get it, do you?" He said, standing back up from the blow.

Asia look on in fear. She's never seen the bones in someones face before, but it was even more scary when he healed himself in seconds flat... even her Twilight Healing couldn't do that! "Riser ALWAYS wins! And Riser gets ANYTHING he wants! You were destined to lose this game, just as you were to be my wife!" He said, the flames healing him had finished and he wore that egotistic smirk on his face again. He fired an even stronger blast of fire that Rias almost couldn't block, but she stood her ground and held on.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"KIBA!"

Kiba was next. Riser's Queen flew from the other side of the field and fire bombed both boys. Anthony survived... Kiba didn't. Sona didn't announce it this time, she was a whirlpool of emotions. Rias had worked so hard, tried EVERYTHING to get away from Riser, and Anthony did EVERYTHING in his human power to set the poor girl free... it made the Council head tear up a little. "Took you long enough, Yubelluna" said Ravel. "Believe or not, the Gremory Queen was as strong as she's rumored to be... had no choice but to use these" said Yubelluna, holding out an empty bottle. "What's she talking about? What's that bottle do?" Anthony asked. **[That's a bottle of Phoenix Tears... pretty sure you can figure out the rest]** said Ddraig and he was right. Anthony had heard multiple times in mythology that the tears of a Phoenix have incredible healing powers.

Technically, he first heard it in a wizard movie, but still...

"How's that fair?" Asked the Italian. "Aw, quit whining. You have the Sacred Gear Twilight Healing on your side" said Ravel. "That's different! All you gotta do is cry when Riser sleeps with another girl, Asia works hard!" Anthony shot back. "Regardless; with our tears, natural ability to heal and immortality; we were destined to win every single Rating Game we complete in! Not even Queens of other families can match our power" Bragged Ravel. This caused Anthony to look down and get angry... very angry... and VERY quickly. He began to feel guilty, if only he stayed with Akeno, maybe she would've had a chance. "Well, if we don't have a Queen..." he said in a dark tone, scaring both women a little.

Then he lifted up his head, his eyes green with rage. He ran atop of one of the giant sword and jumped off of it, reaching a hand out, and grabbed Yubelluna's leg. "THEN YOU DON'T EITHER!" He roared, pulling down and with surprising strength, sent her to the ground. Roaring, he had his fist outstretched and ready punch the Queen's face in. She flew up using her Devil wings and avoided the strike. "How dare you touch me? I'm going to rip you apart!" Said Yunbelluna, preparing a powerful fire spell on her staff. Anthony then smirked evilly. "Not if I rip you first..." he said, snapping his fingers.

Where was that sudden glow coming from? Her leg? She looked down just in time to see a small magic circle...

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yubelluna was forced to land and cover herself due to her outfit bursting apart. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH Y-...?" Said Yubelluna, looking up at the human who dared attack her. She froze up. All she saw were green eyes, and Anthony's outstretched palm right in her face... with a ball of energy in it. "Resquieta in pace, volpe." Anthony growled. With that, he unleashed a Dragon Shot that was even more powerful due to the Gear evolving... literally an inch from her face. She cried in agony as the dragonic energy blasted her, her voice fading as she disappeared in sparkles.

**"... Riser's Queen... Retired"** said Sona, she was both amazed at how quickly Anthony took out the Queen... but also fearful as he was able to Retire her in one shot. She wasn't the only one, Ravel was shaking at what she saw take place. "He... defeated her... in one shot?" She said, struggling to grasp the reality. No one has ever defeated their Queen before! Anthony's eyes now shot at Ravel, she froze with fear. "... I don't have time for you now" Anthony said, running towards the school. He had to get to Rias and Asia, and fast!

As the sound of Sona's announcement filled the air, Riser hardened his gaze and looked down towards the field. He saw the sparkles, but couldn't believe it. "WHAT?!" He said, angrily. This made no sense, how could a measly human not only take out several pieces at once... but a QUEEN to boot?! "I may have lost Akeno, Koneko and Kiba... but I still have Anthony and Ddraig! Your gonna be sorry once he gets here, he's gonna serve you for dinner at the Gremory house!" Said Rias, her morale rising. She had to admit, she was also surprised Anthony was able to destroy a Queen on his own. Maybe she should have let him help Akeno after all, but what's done is done. Sure they lost her, but they could avenge her... they could still win this!

Riser glared at his bride-to-be. Now the only pieces he had left were himself and Ravel, all thanks to some human. A HUMAN! It really ruffled his feathers, he can't lose... not to him... not to a bunch of Rating Game Virgins! With an evil smile, he prepared a ball of fire. "Not if Riser Retires you first!"

FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

Back on the ground floor, Anthony heard the explosion from above. He wasted enough time, he needed to get to Rias and Asia, NOW! _'You never had a chance at beating us, and never will!'_ Ravel's words echoed in Anthony's head. "I still have to try... Promotion - Queen!" he said aloud. The symbol of the Queen Piece surrounded him...

...

...

...

Nothing happened. Unlike when he promoted to a Knight once before, he didn't become a Queen... but why? "Uh, I said: Promotion - Queen!" He repeated, the same thing occurred... still nothing. "The hell? Why isn't it working?" He questioned while looking down at himself. He was in the enemies home base, right? So by chess/Rating Game rules, shouldn't he be promoted to whatever he wanted? **_[No idea. But I do feel the Evil Piece inside you resonating to your call, so it IS working]_** said Ddraig. "Then why am I not becoming the next boss bitch?" Anthony asked. _**[Good question]** _said Ddraig, then another explosion rang out, vibrating the building.**_ [But if your going to promote, do it quickly]_** the dragon finished.

Since Queen wasn't working for some reason, Anthony had to think. _'Ok Antonio, think! If you can't became a Queen, what's your next best move?... Riser has a huge amount of demonic power and the ability to heal almost instantaneously. Close quarters combat doesn't sound like the best option when fighting a fire, so Rook and Knight are out of the question. That just leaves...'_ He thought, then mad his decision. "Promotion - Bishop!" He said, thinking that he could counter fire with fire; or in this case, demonic power with demonic power. Sure enough, this time his promotion was successful. Running as quickly as he possibly could, Anthony headed for the roof.

-TIME BREAK-

FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Rias was still blocking Riser's attacks, but she was starting to lose power. Asia was behind her, trying her best to keep the Gremory King at full strength. "Just give up, my Beloved. Riser won't think any less of you" taunted the Phenex King.

BANG!

"RIAS! PAWN MESSURI, REPORTING FOR KITCHEN DUTY!" Yelled Anthony, climbing out of window and climbed up to join Rias. Both Rias and Asia were ecstatic to see him. "Oh, perfect. The human lapdog has arrived to lick his masters wounds... how cute" said Riser. Ravel then appeared by flying over next to her brother. As scared as she was seeing Anthony's strength, she was still a member of her brothers team. "I could throw him off the roof if you want" said Ravel. "Heh, no need, dear sister. Riser prefers to be as thorough as possible" said Riser. "He might be human, but he took out Yubelluna. Please be careful" said Ravel. Riser understood this, but he kept his cool. "Riser must admit, little human. Your quite the man you said you'd be" Riser 'complimented'.

**[BOOST!]**

"Flattered. And your still the tool you showed yourself to be" said Anthony. "Heheheheh. Perhaps Riser misjudged you. Tell you what, convince your King to resign, and he'll let you be Best Man" Riser said. "No thanks, I'm Sias' ONLY man, thank you very much" Anthony snapped. "What a pity, guess I'll have to roast you alive and serve you at the buffet" Riser taunted again. "You'll have to go through me before you lay a hand on him! HYAH!" Said Rias, launching 2 waves of Destruction Magic that cut off Risers' arms. He merely laughed at this; as his bones, muscles and skin grew back in flames. "Heheh, this is child's play, Rias. Resign, you barely have any power left. Besides, were about to be mated, and Riser hates to ruin his wife before bed" said Riser.

**[BOOST!]**

"Then let me offer you some protezione!" Said Anthony, firing a Dragon Shot using a single boost... at Riser's groin. There was a gasping hole where Riser holds his eggs... until he healed that too... yuck, Anthony should've looked away. "That's it? Riser barely felt that. Where's all that power you Retired Yubelluna with, hmm? Even your Pawn has exhausted himself it seems, Rias. Looks like its Checkmate" Riser ragged. "If Anthony taught me anything, its Checkmate is NOT Game Over! You will not intimate me, Riser!" Said Rias.

**[BOOST!]**

While Rias and Riser talked, Asia used this time to start healing Anthony. Seeing all the bruises and scratches on him surprised her... he truly was amazing. "Oh... thanks, Asia" said Anthony, feeling the warmth of the Twilight Healing and turned his neck to thank Asia. "Your so brave, Anthony. Just like when we were attacked when we were little, you pushed back and never gave up" said Asia. "Hey, Prez? Permission to pluck out his tail feathers now? I want to be the one who saves YOU this time, Rias. As long as I can stand, I'll fight!" Said Anthony, then Ddraig joined in. **[Spoken like a true dragon! This fight isn't over until one stop breathing!]** Said the Red Dragon. "I couldn't agree more... we'll win this together" agreed Rias.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony and Rias stood together, she prepared a Destruction Spell while Anthony held out his hand for another Dragon Shot. "DRAGON SH-...!" Anthony said, but stopped and choked on his words, shocking Asia and Rias. "Anthony?!" Asked Rias, her voice cracking in concern.** [Buuuuuuuurst...]** Ddraig, sounding as drained as Anthony looked. The Italian's face went pale and he lost his balance, rolling down the roof. Sona and her council member also looked concerned from the camera room, what was wrong with Anthony? "Ugh... Ddraig... what... the hell?" He moaned, feeling like he got rammed by a bus like Looney Tune. **[It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention to your body's physical limits. We've gone far beyond what your body can handle, and the Boosted Gear drained us as a result. It's a defense mechanism, to protect both itself and its wielder from an overload]** said Ddraig. "Ugh... would've been... nice to know... earlier" Anthony groaned, then he coughed up blood.

"Awwww... looks like the dragon belched his last flame. This Rating Game is over, Rias... resign and save yourself more embarrassment" said Riser, making fun of Anthony's condition. Rias' heart bled out for Anthony, but she refused to give up. "NEVER!"

FLOOSH! FLOOSH! FLOOSH!

3 Destruction Spells, each taking a limb from Riser. First his Left arm, then his right, and one of his legs... but they healed right back. "Admit it! All you have left is a Support-Type Bishop at this point, the only attacking piece you have is yourself, and who knows how much longer she'll be able to heal you before she exhausts her power as well? Do yourself, and your peerage a favor... and give up" said Riser. Hearing this, Rias began to think... Riser was right. Anthony was about to Retire, and who knew how long Asia had until her strength was drained from all that healing? Riser had a natural healing ability... Rias did not... was this it? After all she's done... after EVERYTHING she's sacrificed... was this her fate? Was she destined to lose to Riser from the start, and give in to the political bullshit her family dragged her into?

She was about to answer when...

"... wait..." croaked a voice. Looking down, everyone say Anthony was still alive! He didn't Retire... but he looked like shit. "I can... still... fight..." Anthony said. "Do you not know when to shut up?" Asked Riser, shooting fire magic at Anthony. "ANTHONY, NO!" Cried Rias. Asia held hands on her face, she couldn't watch. "He's done... resign" ordered Riser. Rias was about to try and answer again but, "... I... promised... I promised... I'd win..." said Anthony, still standing when the smoke cleared, though it was clear he was in a immense amount of pain; from both the attack and the draining effect of his Gear. "WHAT?! HOW ARE YOU STILL STANDING?!" Shouted Riser, now getting ticked off. No one survives Riser's flames! Especially not a pathetic, little human boy!

This was an outrage! Having enough of the Italian, Riser flew down from the roof and attacked Anthony. "STOP IT, STOP IT NOW!" Cried Rias, but Riser kept attacking. He kneed Anthony in the gut, punched the side of his face, and kicked him in the chest... but Anthony kept standing back up, he won't be moved, which just pissed off Riser even more. "I won't run... won't back away... I'll fight... fight for Rias..." said Anthony, which made Rias think back to the day they first met, the hug and promise he gave her... she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. Even Ravel, Riser's own sister started crying. She's never seen this side of her brother, ruthlessly attacking a helpless foot soldier when he had no way of defending himself.

Anthony finally stopped moving and talking, and Riser picked up the boy by the hair. "What a waste. The Red Dragon in the body of a lowly servant, Riser'll put him out of his misery" said Riser, generating a ball of fire. "Riser! What are you doing to him?" Asked Rias. "Sending him to hell where he belongs... not even Phoenix Tears will help when Riser's done with him" Riser announced, evil intent in his eyes. "BIG BROTHER! THAT'LL KILL HIM!" Shouted Ravel... wait, why does she care? Maybe because her brothers going too far... yeah, that was it. "Heheheh, don't worry, dear sister... legally, any death in a Rating Game is considered an accident anyway!" Riser said with an evil grin.

Before Riser could make due on this threat... Anthony opened his eyes, stunning Riser. HOW? How in the Four Great Satans names... was this mortal still breathing?! Anthony's cheeks puffed up and... "Argh!" Riser said, then froze momentarily. Did this little pissant... just do... what he think he did? Deactivating the fireball, Riser felt under an eye with 2 fingers and when he pulled them back... bloody saliva. "Succhiare... mio... pene..." said Anthony, with a smile. "YOU...!" Riser Roared, losing his sanity and made a second ball... 5 times the size of school bus! "YOUR NOT GOING TO HELL, RISER'S GOING TO BURN ALIVE!" Riser roared again, spit coming out of his mouth.

"ANTHONY!" Rias screamed, flying down quickly and hugged Riser's back. "RISER, STOP! I'LL RESIGN, I'LL RESIGN, OK? JUST DON'T HURT HIM, AND I'LL MARRY YOU, UNDERSTAND?! PLEASE, JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Rias cried. Smirking evilly, Riser let go of Anthony. "Game. Set. Match. Riser wins again" he said. Anthony was shocked, he couldn't believe Rias gave up. It wasn't fair! Riser used him as a bargaining chip, and the overgrown chicken knew it! Sona's voice rang out, though clearly saddened at the outcome, **"Resignation, recognized... Riser wins the game..."**

**Anthony:** _*Rias... no...*_

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Pezzo ****Reale:** means "actual piece"

2) **Calci Nel ****Sedere:** means "kickass"

3) **No Penso Così:** means "don't think so"

4) **Non Sono Stato Io:** means "it wasn't me"

5) **Niente. Niente Affato:** means "nothing. Nothing at all"

6) **Gladiatore:** means "gladiator"

7) **Viso:** means "face"

8) **Volpe: **another, and more insulting way, to say "bitch". Can also mean "fox". (**AN:** Will be used on a certain Yokai when she appears in the story)

9) **Protezione:** means "protection"

10) **Succhiare Mio Pene:** means "suck my dick"


	17. Chapter 17

1A) **Jesus**: Aw, thank you... no, seriously. I thank you for the criticism. Sure not much has changed, but have you ever seen an _Italian_ Dragon Emperor before? Or a fic that teaches you how to swear in another language? Besides, I haven't even brought out my best ideas yet. The story has just begun... plus, if you actually READ the story; you would have noticed some of the canon characters backstories and personalities have been changed, as well as interactions between them (not gonna waste my time defending myself by including examples, READ the story).

1B) **Jesus**: Oh, and by the way... next time, speak your own language and don't try to be cool or slick by writing in Spanish using Google Translate, thinking I can't read it. How do I know, you ask? Cause we Italians also use some Spanish words (mostly numbers) in our language... that; and you misspelled "fanfiction" in it. Try again pal, but if you fail; next time I'll have to bring Anthony in to roast you... and he's a helluva lot better at it than me.

2) **Rmarcano321**: Speed it up? As in upload/posting time? If that's what your asking, I'll try. But I'm also a YouTuber, so I have to balance out my time on both sites accordingly. Anyway; as you saw last chapter, Anthony cannot promote into a Queen, which will cause problems for him when he faces a stronger foe. Why can't he, you ask? Can't tell you that, you'll have to do what a certain someone didn't do _*points up* _and READ to find out. I don't wanna spoil anything for the next possible installment, so I can't say much else. I will say that when Anthony goes Juggernaut... drop the Dictionary and run.

3) **54godamora:** The entire fight is here, no breaks or additional parts; so I'm SURE its up to your standards to be a good chapter ;)

The final battle with Riser is here, folks! We've come a long way with Anthony, haven't we? Before we start; I wanna take this time to thank each and every one of you for all your support. Be it by trolls, flames, PMs', follows, favorites, reviews and/or ideas. Thank you to all my loyal fans, both old and new; I never could have gotten this far without you. I honestly didn't think 44 people would become fans of this... my expectation was 16, maaaaaaybe 20 people at best. So once again, thank you so much for embracing this original spin on the DxD universe.

As Hellhammer suggested, you can play "Psycho Holiday" by Pantera or "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" by Carcass during the Riser battle, or just the original music the anime episode used. Now let's now join Anthony for one last battle! And with over 12,800 words... this is longest chapter of any fanfiction I've ever written, so you know it'll be a good one! Let's all pull out our Gears, and lend him our strength! All together... **[TRANSFER!]**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Crashing the Party - The Fight for Freedom!**

BANG!

That was the 6th punch Anthony gave his wall... his left hand hurt, but he really didn't give a shit about that right now. Just yesterday, he let Rias down... he wasn't strong enough... and it cost the Gremorys' the game. Akeno, Kiba and Koneko went to the Underworld to attend their Masters engagement party (as it was already scheduled BEFORE the Rating Game); while Anthony was left behind with Asia so she could heal him. However, she saw how angry his eyes were as she worked her magic, so she decided to leave him to himself once she was done.

Sure, she was jealo... _*ahem*_ insecure; about Rias living with them, but she knew how Anthony could be when he was mad if some one he cared about was hurt in any way... she had firsthand experience with that. _**[I don't think punching your home until it falls over is gonna solve anything]** _Ddraig said, but Anthony either didn't hear or just ignored his dragon. "I failed her... I promised her... and I let her down. Now she's gonna start a life... that her own families forcing her into, just to deepen their pockets... IT'S NOT RIGHT!" Said Anthony.

BANG!

7 times... now his hand went into the bathroom on the other side. Maybe he should have became a Knight so he could slap Riser across the face until his head popped off, or maybe a Rook so Anthony had more endurance... then whack his head off! Or maybe... he never could have won in the first place... he couldn't even promote to a damn Queen, so maybe Ravel was right... he never stood a chance at all. As he was thinking this, he heard the sound and saw the glow of a magic circle. Grayfia... the Ultimate Queen appeared. "Oh... its you. What'cha want? To rub it in my face? Tell me I was a fool for even trying?" Snapped Anthony.

Much to his surprise, she smiled at him. "You did good out there... I mean it. Not many have stood up to Riser nearly as long as you did, especially first time competitors" she said, warmly. It caught Anthony off guard slightly, why was this stoic woman now being nice to him? "I've come across many men over the years until I found my husband, and like him, your an interesting boy. Your a gentle soul that cares deeply about others; and once you set your mind on something, there's no changing it... hehe, Rias is the same way. I see why she likes you" the woman complimented. Anthony just looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. At first, she appeared to be refined and mature... but now, she almost seemed a little girly.

"Why are you here? To make conversation?" Asked Anthony. "Actually, I was ordered to deliver this" said Grayfia, pulling out a piece of paper with the Gremory symbol on it. Anthony recognized it as one of the flyers he used to hand out, having the Gremory symbol on it. "Sirzechs asked me to... 'invite' you. You didn't hear this from me, but... this is your last chance" she said with a smile, and teleported away. Anthony knew what this meant. "Anthony? Who were you talking too? Ddraig?" Asked Asia, coming into Anthony's room to check on him.

She saw confidence and determination in his eyes... what was he thinking? "Asia... I need a favor..."

-TIME BREAK-

_In the Underworld at the Gremory castle..._

"This is just an engagement party, so why the hell am I being forced to wear a wedding dress?" Rias asked her reflection, though there were a few bridesmaids with her. "Because Riser wanted it... you look absolutely stunning, my dear" said the arrogant voice of Riser, after appearing in a swirl of flames. "Lord Riser, it's bad luck for the groom to see his..." one of the maids said, but Riser held a hand to silence her. "That's only human superstition. Besides, Riser only wants a quick word with his bride, then he'll be on his way" said Riser, walking up to Rias. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not your bride yet" said Rias. "Oh, but you will soon. Riser wants to make a good impression on our guests, to let the entire Underworld know that our houses will be joining forces" said Riser, as he touched Rias' shoulder with one hand, and her chin with another.

Ugh... she never felt so disgusting. His touch wasn't as warming or as welcoming as Anthony's... she hoped he was ok...

"Fottiti" Rias said right into Riser's eyes with venom, mixed with Anthony's personality. Riser however, didn't look even the tiniest bit insulted. He just smiled and lightly slapped her cheek twice. "Don't worry, my love. You'll have a even more stunning dress on our wedding day, a dress full of Phoenix feathers! It's only appropriate for Riser's bride-to-be!" Riser said, turning and walking away, then disappearing in a vortex of flames. "Humph, feathers? I'd rather wear a dress of thorns" Rias scoffed. She could only imagine what Anthony would say right about now, as she was sure he could come up with something 10x better...

_"Heh? Feathers? PLEASE! She'd rather wear poison ivy than be caught dead wearing your tacky-ass hand-me-down ya got from mommy last Christmas"_ Anthony's imaginary voice echoed in Rias' head, sounding allot like something he WOULD say. She giggled once because of it, cheering her up a little... but then went right back to being sad. She never got to thank him... for letting her be herself... just a normal girl, who only wanted to be known FOR herself. She mumbled his name once. "Lady Rias... its time" said one of the maids, letting her know the party was about to begin.

-TIME BREAK-

"Well, I knew my brother would win from the beginning. He had to hold back till the end so it was't one-sided... gotta play fair and keep the game interesting, ya know? Heheheh" giggled Ravel, talking to a few guests. Some of them gave her WTF glances, as most of them had SEEN the game themselves and saw Riser's team struggle... but then again, what do they know, right? Nearby; Kiba, Koneko, Akeno and Sona stood together; drinking sodas from wine glasses.

Ya know, since their still underage... even though they live almost forever.

"She's delightful, isn't she?" Asked Kiba. "Tweety can suck it" said Koneko, taking an insult from Anthony's book along with a sip of her drink. "Yes, she's got quite the mouth... personally, I wouldn't complain if the end result was different" said Sona. "Thanks for the support, I'm sure Anthony and Ddraig would appreciate it" said Akeno. "Speaking of which, is he alright? He took quite a few harsh blows; and boosted so much, that it's a miracle he stayed conscious for as long as he did" Asked Sona. "I'm sure Asia's healing both of them as we speak. Besides, we'll get them next time" said Kiba.

As he said that, Riser appeared with Rias. He dressed in a handsome white tux that matched Rias' gown... speaking of whom, her eyes were closed in contempt. "Speak of the devil" said Koneko, taking another sip. Riser then began to speak. "Greetings, citizens of the Underworld! On behalf of the House of Phenex, Riser would like to welcome you all to the festivities. This is an historic moment for all Devils, and Riser would to be the first to thank all of you for joining us as 2 noble dynasties..."

"AW; BLAH, BLAH, BLAAAAAAAAH!"

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The front doors exploded off their hinges, shocking everyone in attendance. A dust cloud blocked the view of the front doors. "What? WHO DARES?!" Yelled Riser. His question wasn't responded too right away, but when it was... "Ya know... this a REAL ingiuriare!" Said a voice, making Rias' eyes widen. That voice! It couldn't be! Was that...?

"FIRST! My GPS takes me halfway across this damn city. THEN! When I finally asked for directions, some E-Girl tried picking me up around the corner. AND NOW! I finally arrive to be Best Man, only to find..." said the voice, whose walking form was now being revealed due to the smoke dissipating. The form held out a piece of paper in its left arm... its _metal_ left arm. "I'm not even on the Guest List!" The form was revealed to be a boy, pointing to the paper then throwing it aside as it fluttered in the wind. "No VIP? No Backstage Pass? No nothing?... Honestly, Riser; Anthony thought we were SUCH good friends!"

"Anthony?!" Asked Rias. He was here? But how? He had no way of knowing the party was today, so how did he get here? That didn't mean she wasn't happy to see him 'pop in', but it shocked her all the same.

"YOU! Can't you leave well enough alone?" Asked Riser, holding his temper. It was bad enough this human survived against him, but now he's HERE of all places... at HIS party? All he wants to do is force a girl to marry him, was THAT so wrong? "Sounds like your speaking from experience" Anthony shot back, arms now folded. "Who do you think you are, mortal? This is an engagement between 2 great powers, you have no business being here!" Shouted Riser, having enough of this American.

Anthony frowned at this, and his eyes narrowed. "That's where your wrong, birdbrain. When someone uses me as a bargaining chip, and forces my friend into something she doesn't want... I MAKE it my business! I'm Anthony Messuri! The human Pawn of Rias Gremory! And I'm here to fight for her freedom!" The Italian-American shouted back with all the gusto he could muster, unfolding his arms and showing off his Gear. Riser just growled, his patience wearing thin. Rias blushed at Anthony's words.

And Ravel... "Seriously, did my brother burn his common sense, or is he just plain mental?"

"Nope, just stupid" Anthony grinned, making a gun with his fingers. "Riser has no time for your nonsense! Rias lost the game, and we had an agreement! Now LEAVE!" Said Riser. "Technically, it was a forfeit. You must've felt like a REAL man then, didn't ya? Instead of accepting the fact Rias wouldn't give up, you threw a temper tantrum and attacked the little guy. Honestly folks; you want THIS guy to lead you, let alone marry Rias? Just imagine if they had a little uhhhhhhh... family dispute? What would that mean for poor Rias?... Hell, what about your political system? Will he be a grown up, or just roll around and cry because he didn't get his way?" Anthony said, talking to Riser at first, then the crowd of Devils.

Despite being human, the other Devils did see reason in Anthony's statement, and it showed in their expressions. They did see Risers behavior, so what WOULD happen if Riser had a... minor disagreement, with someone? How would that work in the long run? Riser saw what Anthony was doing. He was planting seeds of doubt in the others' heads, making him look bad! First he made a fool of his power back in the game, now his leadership skills? He can't allow this to go on! Not able to hold back any longer, he launched a fireball at Anthony.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony swatted the fireball away with his Sacred Gear, making it hit the roof and cause some rubble to fall, but luckily none fell on top of anyone. This stunned the partygoers and Anthony's friends, he didn't have this power before, so where did he get it?

"Ya see, THIS is what I'm taking about... if only you saw how he treats his Queen... poor girl" said Anthony said to the guests; thumb-pointing to Riser, then shaking his head in a 'tsk tsk' type fashion, making the Phenex realize he had fallen right for the humans trap! "GRRRRRRRR! GUARDS! SEIZE HIM!" Riser roared, pointing to the boy who dared mock him. Castle guards suddenly swarmed Anthony, armed with spears. However, Anthony wasn't intimated. "Unless you want those spears jabbed up your culos', I'd back off" he said, bringing up his Gear as it glowed. **[Or be drowned in crimson purgatory!]** Said Ddraig.

"T-The Gear?" Asked one guard, his spear now shaking in his hands. He's never heard of a talking Sacred Gear before. "I-It spoke?" Asked another guard, having the same reaction.** [Indeed! I am the Red Dragon Emperor! The Dragon of Domination! So unless you want to be flame broiled for Anthony's next dish, I highly recommend stepping away from my master... or else]** said Ddraig, speaking sternly. "The Red Dragon?!" Asked one of the party guests, a male. "He has returned?" Asked another guest, this time a female. "In the body of a human?" Asked a third guest, also a female. "So... what's it gonna be, boys? Spears... or my pet dragon's morning breath?" Taunted Anthony, thrusting out his Sacred Gear as it boosted him again, making each of the guards flinch.

"What are you waiting for? OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" Riser ordered the guards. Although they were visibly sacred, they took battle stances. Anthony did the same. "We warned ya" he smirked. "Sounds like our queue, huh?" Asked Akeno. "Eh, we got nothing else better to do" said Kiba. "This party was getting boring away" said Koneko. With that, all 3 of them charged and attacked some of the guards for Anthony.

SWIPE!

**Kiba**: We're here, guys! We got your back all the way!

POW!

**Koneko**: They can suck it.

**Anthony**: Kiba... Koneko... thanks, you guys...

KA-ZAP!

"GEEEE!" Shrieked Anthony, flinching and going wide-eyed because of hearing an explosion behind him. Looking back, he saw 4 guards on the ground... jerking with electricity. "Akeno?" He asked, seeing her nearby. "That was like, super hot of you both. Now go save Rias... or I'll have to punish you" said Akeno, smiling. "Aye-Aye, priestess... looking forward to it" said Anthony, joining Akeno's tiny flirt. He then started running towards Rias and Riser, intent on bringing her home! Some guards did get in his way, but he dodged or pushed them aside. A few even tried stabbing him, but he evaded perfectly and knocked them down. Nothing was gonna stop Anthony, not this time!

Just as he got in front of the Groom and Bride-to-be, a line of 6 guards stood in his way. In response, he held out his left hand...

**[BOOST!]**

And it now held a red sphere. "Don't make me do this, I'd just HATE to blast you guys... though Rias liked it" he said. Before either side could make a move... the sound of a new voice stopped everything. It was noble and calm, but held authority that was impossible to ignore. "That's quite enough, Red Dragon... thank you for coming on such short notice."

Looking in the new voices direction; Anthony witnessed a tall man dressed in a fine robe, having what appeared to be armored plates on his shoulders (8 in total, 4 on each side). He also had red hair... crimson red hair, like Rias'. "Wait... is that...?" Anthony began, but Rias beat him too it. "Sirzechs?" She asked, surprised her brother was here. He was the King of all Devils, shouldn't he be busy? "Wait, YOUR Sirzechs?... _*whistle*_, looks run in the family it seems" Anthony complimented. To him, Sirzechs looked like a taller, male version of Rias.

Sirzechs was smiling the whole time, but internally smiled more at Anthony's comment... he was quite the charmer...

"_Thank you for coming_? Sirzechs, what is the meaning of this?" Riser repeated, annoyed. "Nothing of consequence, Riser. Just a little... entertainment" said Sirzechs. "Oooooh, I like him already" commented Anthony. "Entertainment? What kind of entertainment?" Asked Riser, wanting to know what was going on, as he was not informed of this. "Well, 2 great powers don't clash everyday... I actually watched your game yesterday and quite honestly, was underwhelmed. My dear sister lacks your gaming experience and larger force but despite that, she nearly had you beat" said Sirzechs.

"It's the final result that counts" snapped Riser, not wanting to be reminded of THAT game again... he just wanted to put it aside, and move on with his life. "Perhaps... but I wonder if your family would feel the same way?" Sirzechs questioned, making Riser glare at him. "In fact, you couldn't even defeat a mere human... and he was able to wipe out half your force on his own... including your infamous Bomb Queen in a single strike. And besides, you only won due to a resignation. I can't imagine how disappointed your family will be... especially once the public starts talking about your _final result_" said Sirzechs, basically shoving Risers logic and ego down his throat.

"Oof.. I think I'm in love..." Anthony swooned, playfully. He loved this guy right now... FINALLY, some respect! And the King's sarcasm matched his own! Now THIS was a match made in hell... why didn't Rias introduce him to her big bro sooner?

"Its such an embarrassment, isn't it? But I'm a believer of second chances, I think you could redeem yourself... that, and we don't get a celebration like this everyday. This party could use a little more... flare. So, Mister Anthony? Thank you again for accepting that last minute invitation... it's unprofessional, my most humble apologies" said Sirzechs. "Heh, I know the feeling, guy. I worked at Wal-Mart" said Anthony. "I see... you want Riser and Anthony to pick up where we left off" Riser deduced, no longer annoyed. Riser could embarrass Anthony so much, that he'll never show that smug Italian face again!

What better way to reduce stress... than beat the ever-living scales off a dragon?

"Exactly. The Immortal Bird Vs The Dragon of Domination... I'm sure our guests would enjoy seeing an all-out battle, no rules or restrictions" said Sirzechs. "An excellent idea, my lord. Riser will be honored to entertain you" Riser smirked, imagining himself burning Anthony to a crisp. "Finally... something Anthony and Riser both agree on" Anthony said, punching his fist. Rias didn't like this at all, she flashed back to when Anthony was beat up... except it now showed Riser holding Anthony by his shirt and burning him alive since she wasn't there to stop it. She can't allow this to happen!

"No! Wait...!" Rias tried to intervene. "Relax, Rias... Mister Messuri is a big boy, he can make his own decisions" Riser cut her off. "He's right... Big Bird needs to leave the nido sometime" said Anthony. "Also... to raise the stakes, the victor shall receive a reward of anything his heart desires... compensation for your time, of course" said Sirzechs. "Riser needs nothing... he's got _everything_ he needs" said Riser smugly, glancing and smirking at Rias. Anthony had to stop himself from rushing at Riser, the bird was SO asking for a plucking! "And what of you, Red Dragon?" Asked Sirzechs, which caused outrage from some of the guests.

"For him?"

"You can't be serious!"

"A reward for a human?"

"Screw that, he's not even a Low-Class Devil!"

"Your King. Has spoken" said Sirzechs, a little sternly. "Devil or not, he'll his prize... I'm the one who requested his appearance, after all. So what is it you desire? Eternal wealth?... A more fitting title?... A woman of great beauty? Simply ask... and you shall receive" continued the Devil King. Anthony folded his arms, closed his eyes... and started chuckling. "Money... power... or beauty... Sorry, Zechy; but I'll have to decline your offer" Anthony said, shocking everyone. A human? Not wanting anything in return?

"Because why would I want any ONE of those things... _*opens eyes slowly*_ when I already had the full package?" Anthony continued. Rias blushed and her eyes widened, was he referring too...? "And its name... IS RIAS GREMORY!" Anthony stated, pointing to Rias herself with a Geared finger.

His Gear then glowed. **[And as compensation for waking ME up, I have a request as well, Devil]** said Ddraig. "Well, you are part of Mister Messuri. I see no issue" said Sirzechs, kindly and not appearing at all shocked by Ddraig's powerful voice. **[Should we be ****victorious,**** Miss Gremory... will NEVER, be dragged into political matters surrounding you Devils, ever again. Unless she decrees otherwise, she is to make her own choice... and hers alone]** Ddraig said, placing his terms. "Unless of course... your afraid of a mere human and his salamander?" Anthony said with cockiness.

"Riser?" Asked Sirzechs, eyeing the other participant. "No objections... Riser will make this quick" said the Phenex. "Ooh, I hope not... Rias hates quickies, bro. Ya gotta last long with her" Anthony 'advised'. Akeno's soft giggle was heard, but Riser just ignored him... though was tempted to burn Anthony's face off. At least he won't have to deal with this foul-mouthed human much longer...

Rias had no words, she just stared at Anthony. He and Ddraig... they came all this way... went through all this trouble... all for her...

-TIME BREAK-

The one-on-one battle was set up in an arena in another dimension, with giant chess pieces surrounding the battle field. "Let the battle begin" Sirzechs said, his face was projected in the sky. Anthony took a battle stance. This was it, his second chance... he couldn't screw up this time... he _won't_. Not after the sacrifice he made...

"Finally. I always wanted to try Roast Duck" said Anthony. "You messed with the wrong Phenex, Messuri! My brother's gonna burn you to cinders!" Shouted Ravel. "Well boy, this is it. Let's finish this once and for all! FIGHT ME!" Said Riser, taking flight with his fiery wings. "You asked for it! You ready, Ddraig?" Said Anthony. **[YES!]** Said the Dragon, his gem glowing. "Alright, let's rank up!" Anthony said, running towards a flying Riser. Rias watched on. '_Anthony... Ddraig... be careful.' _

As Anthony ran, the Promotion Ability surrounded him. _'Promotion - Queen!'_

...

...

...

It didn't work. _'Still?! Ma stai scherzando?!'_ Anthony thought to himself. There were a few comments the partygoers gave at this:

**Guest #12 (Male):** What the hell was that?

**Guest #22 (Female):** But he's a Pawn, right?

**Guest #14 (Female):** What kind of Pawn can't promote?

**Guest #36 (Male):** Probably cause he's a weak human.

**Guest #25 (Female):** And he defeated the Bomb Queen on his own?

**Guest #43 (Male):** This kids a joke!

Koneko, Kiba and Akeno were also surprised. Anthony couldn't promote? Why? It made no sense, he did before against Freed...

"Whats wrong, boy? Losing your nerve?" Said Riser, throwing a ball of fire. Anthony had to dodge, but Riser's aim was almost perfect! If he was a second slower, he'd be fried right in his shoes! He didn't understand, why can't he promote into a Queen? He thought it was an exhaustion thing during the game, but he was at full strength now... _'Aw, screw it! No time to dwell on it... Ok, Bishop didn't work last time, so... Promotion - Rook!'_ Anthony thought. Once again, his Promotion Ability worked this time. He still didn't understand though, if he's able to promote into the other 3 pieces, then why not a Queen?

As said before, he'll worry about that later. Right now, he had a bird to flip... and a friend to save!

"Promote as many times as you want, its no use! A human like you can never beat Riser!" Riser said, launching another fireball. Anthony was able to resist the attack and knock it away, just like earlier... but Riser was definitely strong. He had no choice but to pull out his trump card, and end this quickly. The Phenex was about to to taunt Anthony again, but Riser felt a wave of power from... Anthony?! What was this? Where was this power coming from? He didn't have THIS during the game.

Likewise, the crowd watching also felt the surge... which included Rias. _'W-What is this... this power... is it, from Anthony?'_ She asked herself. Back on the field, Anthony's gauntlet was glowing... the brightest thus far!

"Your right, Riser; I AM human. I'm not a Devil like Rias... I don't have the speed of Kiba... nor the power of Akeno... the strength of Koneko... or even the magic of Asia... I'm not like them and I don't have their talents, but if its one thing I DO have... ITS HONOR!" Said Anthony, energy starting to surround him again. "I made a promise to someone special, that I INTEND to keep! And NO ONE is gonna stop me from keeping my word! Not a fire... not a Fallen Angel... and most certainly, NOT YOU! LET'S FRY THIS POMPOUS PARROT, DDRAIG! TIME FOR... OVER BOOSTER!" Anthony roared, raising his Sacred Gear to the heavens, where it glowed as bright as a 1000 suns! **[WELSH DRAGON - OVER BOOSTER!]** Ddraig announced.

No one was prepared for what happened next...

As the Sacred Gear glowed with light, patches of red armor started appearing around Anthony's body, covering him head-to-toe. Green gems, like the one on his arm, started appearing his knees and chest, as well as his other arm. His feet also gained talon-like toes, the same happening to his hands. A tiny pair of thrusters appeared on the back of his shoulders, resembling small wings. A long tail-like appendage extended from the back of Anthony's neck. "THIS is the Dragon Emperors TRUE power!" Anthony said, as a thick helmet with horns on the side and large green eyes covered his head, completing the transformation. "The Boosted Gears, Scale Mail Armor! Better known... as BALANCE BREAKER!" Anthony finished, now in a full suit of badass dragon-like armor.

"B-Balance Breaker?" Asked a surprised Rias. She didn't understand! Based on what she's heard, Balance Breaker can only be activated when the Gear fully evolves... but how did Anthony achieve this power, only a day AFTER unlocking another?! The overwhelming stress of something like that could kill a Devil, let alone a human. "He didn't have that during the Rating Game" said Kiba. "Where did that come from?" Asked Akeno. While Koneko and Sona were silent, they too were stunned and was trying to grasp what they saw. Riser growled at the sight. Ugh... this boy and his parlor tricks! But how did he obtain such a power so quickly?

Thrusters bursting, Anthony took flight at Riser. "Rias'll never belong to you while I'm still breathing, stronza!" Shouted Anthony, shooting overclocked Dragon Shots with both hands. What surprised Riser, was how quickly the armor was saying 'boost', meaning this attack was gonna hurt if he didn't get out of the way! He barely manged to avoid the strike... the shots crashed to earth, destroying one of the chess piece statues in a huge explosion. Riser turned around on instinct, as was shocked at how much damage Anthony had just caused. Rooks' don't normally have that much demonic power but then again, he had a Balance Breaker on.

**[ONE!]**

One? What did that mean? Not worrying about that right now, Riser turned back around to fire a fireball... where did Anthony go? Riser looked around a few times for the human, he was just... "PEEK-A-BOO!"

POW! CRASH!

Suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Riser was punched in the chest by Anthony, sending the King crashing into another chess statue. "That was for Rias... and farmi arrabbiare" said Anthony.

**[TWO!]**

Two? Seriously, what kind of announcement was that? More importantly, where did this speed and strength come from? Risers never seen anything like this before. He pulled himself out of the rubble, the wounds healing in flames... and he was angry at Anthony for the sucker punch. "Grrrr... lucky shot, human! Your still nothing compared to Riser, NOTHING! The flame of the Immortal Bird burns within me! And its hellfire with scorch you TO DUST!" Shouted Riser, enveloping himself in flames, and circled around the now-broken chess piece before homing in on his target.

"Yeah, keep talking; Foghorn Leghorn! I'm gonna make you wish you never heard of Anthony Messuri!" Anthony shouted back, boosting multiple times before meeting Riser head-to-head.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Their power was equal, so they ended up causing an explosion again, with them caught right in the middle! The cameras watching them brightened so much, that the crowd had to look away to avoid possibly losing their eyesight. Both men ended up crashing on the floor at the same time, grunting upon impact.

**[THREE!]**

"Ugh... yeah... that hurt" said Anthony, sitting up due to landing on his back. _**[Good thing you chose the Rook, otherwise the outcome would be less ****favorable**** than a stalemate]**_ said Ddraig. "Yeah... his hellfire attack is no candle either" Anthony said. "Ugh... if you... weren't hiding behind that armor PAWN... you'd be nothing... but a pile of ashes!" Said Riser, recovering and throwing another fireball. Anthony just blocked it by crossing his arms, the defensive power of the Rook combined with his dragon armor nullified the attack. "You think I'm scared of you, Riser? I'll never back down when a friend's on the line... NEVER!" Said Anthony, taking flight again with Riser copying.

Riser's fist turned into flames while Anthony's glowed with dragonic energy. They met each other for another square off, punching each others faces.

**[FOUR!]**

"GACK!" Went Anthony, blood coming out of the hole in his armors mouth. This also caused Anthony to lower his fist away from Riser's face, dragging it down his chest involuntarily. "Your throu-... ARGH!" Riser was about to taunt, but felt incredible burning pain down his chest, coughing blood of his own. "This pain... how? How did you...?" Said Riser, looking over as both he and Anthony fell from the sky. He saw a twinkle in Anthony's left hand, in the shape of... "A _CROSS_?!" Riser shouted, not believing it. He was so focused on Anthony, it must've slipped past his Devil senses. Both men once again crashed on the ground. "NRGH! Where... did you... get that...?" Asked Riser, pain flooding his body. Since it wasn't a physical injury, he couldn't regenerate from it; and Devils don't mix well with holy items.

**[FIVE!]**

"Oh... nowhere special. Just that our Bishop and I used to attend the same church... And since she has no need for this anymore, I figured she wouldn't mind if I borrowed it for a while" Anthony said, slowly getting up. "Ugh... how's it feel, Riser? Knowing that a weak human like me... can resist something you can't? How a mighty bird falls to his knees over a tiny necklace? No matter how powerful you are... your nothing compared to the power of the Cross in my hand!" Said Anthony.

**[SIX!]**

Riser growled at Anthony, but then realized something... how did he get a Balance Breaker so quickly? It made no sense! Even a Devil would need months of practice to even come close to being able to Balance Break! And at Anthony's level, it should've destroyed him by now.

"Wait a minute... this is impossible! You shouldn't be able to Balance Break now! Even IF you weren't human, at your level, initiating a Balance Break should tear your body apart!" Said Riser.** [Normally Phenex, this is true. At Anthony's current level, a Balance Break would've normally killed him upon activation... however... dragons' have been known to make pacts with mortals in the ancient past...]** Ddraig spoke out. "What does that have do to with anything, dragon? That shouldn't..." Riser was saying, but then gasped and his eyes widened.

There was a reason Anthony was about to knock away his fireball back at the party with an arm... Riser put the pieces together, and it became clear HOW Anthony had accomplished all this in a single day... "Wait a minute... that arm... that's not your arm anymore, isn't it?... YOU OFFERED THAT DRAGON YOUR OWN ARM?!" (**AN:** I always found it odd how Riser figured out Issei gave Ddraig his arm without a proper explanation... seemed like a rushed plot point to me.)

-FLASHBACK-

_"Asia... I need a favor. Get me your cross" Anthony asked. "Um, ok. Why though?" Asked Asia. "Just in case I need His help" smiled Anthony. "Oh, ok. Be right back" Asia nodded, leaving the room. She thought nothing of the request... besides, not like she needs it anymore. Once she closed the door behind her, Anthony sat in silence for a few seconds before bringing up his hand. "Hey Ddraig... ya still there?" He asked._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_The back of Anthony's hand glowed. __**[Well, I'm not going on a hot date anytime soon. What is it?]** Said Ddraig. "Listen... one of Risers sisters mentioned something about a Balance Breaker..." Anthony started, and Ddraig knew what he was asking of him. **[No. Your not yet ready for that kind of power. You just unlocked Liberation, it'll be sometime before you can Balance Break]** said Ddraig, cutting Anthony off and explaining. "Come on, Ddraig; PLEASE! You boosted my power before, so what's to say you can't give me more?" Asked Anthony._

_**[Boosting is one thing, but a Balance Breaker?... I-I'm sorry, Anthony; but I won't do it! I refuse to tax your body anymore than its already been!]** Said Ddraig, concerned for his partners safety. "But we have to save Rias from marrying Quack-mire, Ddraig! I need more power!" Said Anthony. **[Its not happening, Anthony. I won't allow you to destroy yourself, and nothing you say can make me change my mind!] **Ddraig stayed, speaking sternly to try and end the discussion there._

_Anthony didn't want to do this, but Ddraig was leaving him with little choice. "So... your gonna break YOUR promise now?" He said, preying on Ddraig's honor.** [... What?] **The dragon asked. "She told me after I woke up that day you revealed yourself to them. You said, and I quote: 'on my honor as a dragon'... so your gonna dishonor Rias, just because your scared?" Anthony said. **[I... I am NOT scared, of Daffy Phenex! But your body cannot handle the stress of a Balance Breaker yet! ITS SUICIDE!]** Yelled Ddraig. "Then how about BOTH our bodies?!" Asked Anthony. _

_This made Ddraig pause... Anthony wasn't really considering... THAT, was he?_

_**[... Anthony... do you have... any idea... of what your asking of me?]** Asked Ddraig. "I'm willing to make a trade... that's how dragons did it in ancient times when they would agree to guard Kings treasures? Right?" Anthony said, throwing some mythology in Ddraig's face. **[... yes... this is true...]** Ddraig confirmed, but didn't like where this conversation was going. If Anthony did this, it would cause many complications. The most dangerous one was that he, would be aware of Ddraig's awakening. Anthony wasn't ready to face him yet... not at his current level._

_"The fight isn't over, until one stops breathing... y__ou nella or su, Ddraig?__" Anthony said, using Ddraig's own words against him.** [...]** Ddraig had no words. "Ddraig!" Anthony repeated. It seemed like forever that Ddraig didn't speak, even though it was only 4 seconds. **[... If you do this... there's no going back. Your failed reincarnation kept you human, but this will...]** Ddraig warned him, but Anthony would not hear it. "DDRAIG!" Anthony yelled, sternly. Once again, Ddraig remained silent, as if thinking of something... ANYTHING, to change Anthony's mind. **[... are you absolutely sure about this? You can just as easily unlock Balance Breaker through proper training and...]** Ddraig stopped because he felt Anthony's gaze harden, as the human looked at the glowing orb on the back of his hand._

_He was silently telling him: we don't have time... it's now, or never. __A full minute passed as Anthony and Ddraig both looked at each other, looking for any hint of doubt in his hosts eyes. When he found none... **[Very well.]** _

_Suddenly, Anthony started feeling a tingling sensation in his arm. Then, it got tighter and tighter! Pain beyond his imagination filled his arm, his Gear slowly activating on its own. Asia came barging in as she heard Anthony's cries. "Anthony, what's wr...?" She asked, only to get her question answered on the spot. Anthony was clutching his arm, the same one with his Sacred Gear. She immediately went to start using Twilight Healing when, **[DON'T! THE PROCESS MUST NOT BE INTERRUPTED!]** Roared Ddraig, stopping Asia in her tracks. What was going on, what process was Ddraig talking about... and what exactly was that dragon doing to her dear Anthony?_

_The pain suddenly stopped, and Anthony stopped crying out in pain. He certainly felt different... though it could also be the pain in his arm, it felt like a house was dropped on his limb... actually, didn't that happen to someone out west?_

_**[It is done. However, I'll only give you till the count of 10. Anything beyond... your body... OUR body... will NOT survive]** warned Ddraig, having fulfilled his end of the bargain. "Heh? 10? I'm only gonna need 9" said Anthony confidently... despite the still present pain in his arm, and he thought Raynare's light spears were bad. **[I sincerely hope that's the case... for both our sakes]** said Ddraig._

_"... Anthony... cosa stava succedendo? What was that about?" Asked Asia, feeling she had missed something. "Did you get it?" Anthony asked, seemingly ignoring Asia's question. "Huh?... Oh, yes. Here. But seriously, Anthony; what did Ddraig do to you?" Said Asia, pulling out a box. **[Only what he requested. He wanted power early, but it carried a cost]** said Ddraig, explaining to the ex-nun the situation. "O-ok... cost what?" Asia asked, nervously. What price did Anthony just pay? She hoped it was nothing serious, or something important between his legs, or... she mentally slapped herself, where did that thought come from?_

_**[Your touching it]** said Ddraig, since Asia was leaning on the Boosted Gear. "W... What?" The girl blinked, not understanding. "My arm..." said Anthony, trying to clear the air. "... I don't... understand... its still there" Asia said, blinking twice. Now she was REALLY confused.** [*Sigh*... Anthony. Take her hand]** said Ddraig. Cocking his eyebrow in confusion, Anthony was about to tell Ddraig off for getting annoyed at Asia, but let it slide. He held her hand with his right one, making the girl blush. **[WITH OUR HAND!]** Rephrased Ddraig. Anthony did just that, resisting the urge to... 'flip Ddraig, the dragon'; if you know what he means._

_Asia never felt the Gear like this before. It was a little cold, probably due to the metal... but it was also warming, which she guessed was from Ddraig's power. **[And if I'm not mistaken, I'm sensing holy power in this room... the box, to be precise. Take it out and put in our hand... with Miss Asia's]** Ddraig said, making Asia gasp. She couldn't hold a Holy Cross anymore, that's why she had put it away in the first place, but now Ddraig wanted to expose her to it? WHY? "DUDE! ARE YOU INSANE? WE'LL BURN A HOLE THROUGH HER!" Yelled Anthony. **[JUST DO IT!... TRUST ME!]** Said Ddraig. Anthony and Asia were a little unsure, what would this even prove? "Just... do it quickly" said Asia, wanting to be over as soon as possible. Not just because it'll hurt; but because it still kinda breaks her heart that she can never interact with the Lord in any way, shape or... OW! Dumb headache!_

_Anthony picked up the item with his other hand... now his only human hand, and slowly began to lower it onto the palm of the Boosted Gear, were Asia's was waiting. He looked at her one last and being brave, she nodded. Anthony dropped the Holy Cross and Asia turned away with shut eyes to ready herself from the pain that would follow..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Huh? Nothing happened. What's going on? Did Anthony catch it and back out? Opening one of her eyes and turning her head slowly back around, both her eyes opened and widened at what she saw..._

_The cross was in the center of her hand... and nothing was happening! She slowly began to clutch it... no pain, not a single singe. She gasped... was this real? **[The power of the Red Dragon Emperor courses through its veins, protecting you from the ill effects the Cross has on you. **__**This arm... is no longer his own...**__**]** said Ddraig. Asia began to cry... she only dreamed she'd be able to touch the Holy Cross again! But thanks to Ddraig, she finally could. Tears of joy streamed down her face, clutching the holy item as hard as her fingers would allow._

_He gave up his own arm... Anthony and Ddraig would beat Riser now; and bring Rias home... Asia just knew it!_

-END FLASHBACK-

**[SEVEN!]**

"SO WHAT IF I DID? That's more than you'll ever do for Rias or her family! Now I'm gonna take you down, WITH this arm; ya polygamous pigeon!" Said Anthony.

Everyone at the party watching this was stunned... a human... gave up one of his limbs... for Rias? Selfless was all they could think of, as like stereotypical humans; even a Devil would try and look for a reason to avoid giving up anything. Kiba, Akeno and Koneko weren't as surprised since they knew Anthony personally; but even they didn't expect him to go THAT far. Sona didn't know Anthony as well as the others, but was just as surprised that he was willing to give up a body part, just to increase his own power and save Rias from a life of misery... it sorta made her a bit jealous. Since she was a High-Class Devil, she didn't have time in her life to help Rias, her best friend and rival.

And Rias... she just stared. He (literally) crashed the party... challenged Riser one-on-one... and now, gave up an arm... for her? Never before had a boy rendered her as speechless as she was now...

**[EIGHT!]**

"Have you... nrgh, lost your mind? Ugh... you'll never... be the same again! Even a Devil can't recover from that! Nrgh... YOUR WILLING... TO LOSE YOUR OWN HUMANITY?!" Riser yelled. Seriously, was this guy a fool? Doesn't Anthony realize he'll loose himself to the power of the Boosted Gear by willing giving up his body? "Lose? Heh. You kidding, right? You really think I care?... I already LOST everything, Riser! My friends... my family... all because of some puttana, who couldn't keep her legs shut!" Said Anthony, his arm glowing with the cross in it.

He was powering up, ready to end this fight!

**[NINE!]**

"Thanks to Rias, I have a NEW family! She's more than just a title, more than a princess... she deserves SO MUCH better, than a life she doesn't want to live! She saved my life, and its time I returned the favor... BY SAVING HER FROM YOU!" Anthony roared, rushing forward with his thrusters burning and his glowing fist pulled back. Hearing that sentence made Rias freeze... she couldn't believe her ears. That's how Anthony felt? She liked him (and liked to tease him) sure, but to hear all that conviction and emotion in his speech...

Riser couldn't move due to the Holy pain still affecting his body, nor did he have enough power for a defensive barrier as Holy damage also makes Devils move sluggishly. Anthony homed in quickly, and Riser couldn't believe it... this mortal was about to knock him out... and embarrass him in front of thousands of Devils on his special day! He could only watch as the mighty dragon closed in, roaring a battle cry.

**[TIME'S UP!]**

"WA! Whoa, whoa, whoa! AH! OOF!" The Scale Mail disappeared back into the Boosted Gear, along with the thrusters Anthony was using for speed. Because of this, he fell but did try to regain his balance, which inevitably failed as he hopped on one leg due to the momentum... and fell in his stomach with his legs in the air for a second before they fell back down. He was now face-flat at Risers feet. "... fan-fucking-tastic..." he muttered with his face on the floor. This was just embarrassing.

-ANTHONY'S MIND-

_**[That was a valiant effort; but unfortunately, you ran out of time] **said Ddraig. "Come on, seriously?! Would an extra second really kill me?" Anthony asked, sarcastically. **[Yes, it actually would have] **said Ddraig, matching Anthony's tone. "What is this, some Ben10 shit? It can't be THAT bad" said Anthony.** [Let me put it this way for you: would you rather have had the armor taken by me... or had armor devour your life force until you burned inside-out?]** Asked Ddraig with the same tone... and for once, Anthony couldn't think of a snappy comeback. **[We had a deal... the count of 10... no further. You would have died, and if you die...]** Ddraig was saying, but Anthony cut him off._

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah; lo so, lo so... I die, you die; I get it! So what do ya need now? An ear? A nostril? A head? I'll give ya one of my eggplants if ya want them, just tell me what you need!" Said Anthony, offering Ddraig more of his body, figuring more dragon body parts = more power.** [That's not the way it works. You could give your entire body, and that STILL wouldn't give you any additional time. With your current physical abilities, I can't modify your body anymore... I'm sorry... but there's just nothing more I can do, without killing you in the process]** Ddraig thoroughly explained, so there would be no room for argument._

_Anthony cursed with his head down. A quick flashback shows that just before he left to rescue Rias, Anthony stopped off in Asia's room and grabbed a bottle of her dresser. "... what about the last boost? Did you do what I asked?" Asked Anthony. **[... yes, and I'm glad you told me ahead of time, or it would've been taken by the armor. I stored the last boost you activated in the gem. Using it now will be over your limit. While it won't be enough to kill you, it'll hurt like a bitch later on... I'm just not sure if it'll be enough to counter Riser's regenerative abilities...] **said Ddraig. "We still have to try. We've can't give up, now... not when we're so close!" Said Anthony._

-REAL WORLD-

"I... won't give up... won't run... I... URK!" Said Anthony, getting lifted up by his shirt by Riser. Rias gasped, and the rest of the present ORC members along with Sona watched with similar reactions... it was happening all over again! "Aw, well that's too bad... looks like the dragon lost his scales. Riser thinks it's time to end this little game" said Riser. He might have been weakened, but he still had more than enough strength to finish off the human without his armor protecting him!

Wait a minute... why was he smiling? "What's so funny, mortal?" Asked Riser. "Nothing... you just look a little thirsty" said Anthony, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a bottle... the same bottle from Asia's room! Using his thumb to pop the cork, he brought it around quickly and...

SPLASH!

"DRINK UP, BUCO!"

**[TRANSFER!]**

Using the energy from the last Balance Break boost, Ddraig transferred his dragonic energy into the liquid that splashed out. Riser didn't think anything of it... until it burned the skin on his face. He screamed in a high-pitched voice as he grabbed his face in pain, his phoenix flames trying to heal him... but they weren't working for some reason. "And don't worry, its sulla casa" Anthony joked, dropping the bottle... it had a cross on it. The Devils watching the fight were shocked, though after putting two-and-two together, it made perfect sense to some.

**Guest #87 (Female): **Look at Lord Riser!

**Guest #124 (Female): **What did that human do to him?

**Guest #97 (Male): **It's the water, it was blessed- _*gets sudden headache*_ OW!

"Big brother!" Ravel called out, confused and concerned. He was a Phenex Devil like her, so why wasn't he regenerating? "Well, looks like Mister Messuri has found Risers' one weakness" said Sirzechs, making the young Phenex and even Rias turn to him in shock. "Weakness? What weakness?" She asked, almost demanding. Rias just turned back around, seeing Riser in pain... it clicked right as her brother explained it. "Riser might be a Phenex... but still a Devil... and Mister Messuri knows it" said Sirzechs.

Ravel now realized what this meant. "But... but that's cheating!" She said, in an attempt to stop the battle for being 'unfair'. "Not according to your brother. Like he said... no objections" said Sirzechs, making it perfectly clear not only did Riser agree to this, but there also was no legal ground she could sue Anthony on.

That... and the Devil King had no intention of intervening.

"Should've expected as much... just like in our game, he deliberately put himself in a corner to get Riser to lower his guard" said Sona, impressed at Anthony's tactic but internalized it. "But... I thought Riser can rise from his ashes" said Kiba. "Indeed... his BODY can regenerate... but not his mind" said Sona; making the Gremory Knight, Rook, and Queen watch in amazement. Once again, Anthony pulled a 180 and turned the battle in his favor, figuring out that even though a Devils body is immortal... their minds and emotions are as mortal as he was.

"Oh-ho, I'm sorry. I thought you were a Phoenix, not an H20 intolerant seahorse. Thanks to Rias, I was able to learn some new tricks from some special friends. My time at the church with Asia taught me that ALL Devils... even the best ones... are vulnerable to Crosses and Holy Water. Mix them together, and it's a cocktail that even one as powerful as you can't resist!" Said Anthony.

3rd degree burns were all over Risers face; making him a bloody, burnt mess... those might also scar if not treated soon. His body was also shaking, showing fatigue. This was the first time someone had ever drew blood from him, making him feel weak... and it made him angry. Without thinking, he used up all his power on another giant fireball and shot it towards Anthony. Due to combined power of the Holy items, his charging time was slowed exponentially so by the time he fired, Anthony had ripped the floor up, throwing a piece of rubble to intercept the attack. He was able to accomplish this thanks to the power of a Rook.

"Kiba taught me to keep my eyes on my environment, and use the battlefield to my advantage!" Anthony said, thrusting his left arm forward with the Holy Cross between his fingers.

**[BOOST!]**

A little pain, but Anthony ignored it. "Akeno taught me how to use my body's natural auras to strengthen my attacks and cast spells, allowing me use magic and amplify my power!"

**[BOOST!]**

Some more pain, but Anthony persisted. "And Koneko... taught me to aim for the center of the body... for MAXIMUM damage at the heart of my enemies!"

**[BOOST!]**

Even more pain, the tightening feeling from the training had returned. Just one more... he just wanted one more. As he was about to deliver the final blow; Rias, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko felt butterflies in their stomachs upon hearing Anthony's words. Indirectly, he was thanking them for all their support, and saying he didn't pull off this victory alone.

Riser couldn't move. He exhausted all his power and was wide open for an attack. He did the only thing he could think of... "No... s-stop... y-you can't do this!... This engagement isn't just important for the Gremorys' and Phenexs'... but the future of ALL Devils, you fool! A human like you can never understand what we went through during the Great War! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT GETTING INVOLVED IN THE MATTERS OF THE IMMORTALS!" Riser yelled. "AND WERE YOU NOT LISTENING TO A GODDAMNED WORD I SAID? OR DID ALL THAT FIRE BURN YOUR FRONTAL LOBE?! I... DON'T... CARE! NONE OF THAT SHITS IMPORTANT!" Yelled Anthony.

"It's Rias... SHE'S what's most important to me right now... not some political plot" said Anthony, lowering his voice to calm down and then sighed. If Rias' eyes weren't wide before, they were now.

"Do you even know how far you pushed her, bro?... How upset and desperate this made her?... She lashed out..." said Anthony, having a flashback when Rias yelled when he first played chess, stating: _its not just a game_. "She tried to damage herself..." said Anthony, flash-backing again to when Rias jumped on top of him _that_ night. "And she cried... all because of what you and her own family did to her..." said Anthony, flashing back again to when he held her when he denied her _that same night_, while keeping his temper barely in check.

"Do YOU... know what that's like? To be pushed to your limit and not seeing any other option but to give yourself up? Its one thing for you to do it, but her family?... FAMILY... is more important, than some wedding to stretch out your wallets. _*Sigh* _The fact that both sides forced her to be with you..." Anthony had one final flashback... when Rias resigned the game in tears.

"... when she obviously wants NOTHING to do with you! Well, I hope the buffet's still open..." Anthony said, all the rage he felt from letting Rias down before combined with his feelings left his body, now on display for the Phenex King to see. The human rushed forward, pulled back the Sacred Gear...

"CAUSE YOUR NEXT ON THE MENU, ZUKO!"

**[BOOOOOOOOOST!]**

POW!

**Riser:** GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

With a powerful uppercut, Anthony attacked Riser in his gut, making the man hunch over and cough up blood... both from the psychical pain of the punch, and the spiritual pain from the Cross. "Lascialo Avere, Ddraig!" Said Anthony. **[EXPLOSION!]** Ddraig said, unleashing the boosted power with all his might. Riser felt the warmth of the energy, and his body being lifted by the human it originated from. "Resquieta in PACE!" Roared Anthony, using the boosted strength of the Gear along with his own to finish the uppercut. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAH! ARGH!" Riser soared into the remains of the giant chess piece behind them, making a Phenex-sized indentation.

Riser tried getting up, but he had no strength left, so he held himself against the bricks of the statue... no... this couldn't be true! Riser? Lose to a Pawn?... Scratch that, a MORTAL Pawn?! He was fading in and out of consciousnesses, but he did see a smirk on Anthony's face. "Like you said... any death... is an accident" Anthony said, running forward again to finish the job. "NO! DON'T HURT HIM!" Cried Ravel, disappearing in a magic circle. She transported herself in front of her brother, thinking Anthony won't go through with it...

But that only caused him to smirk wider and close in. Thrusting his Sacred Gear forward...

...

...

...

It stopped in front of Ravel, who closed her eyes waiting on impact. When none came, she opened them... seeing Anthony's fist a meter from her face. "Relax... just a warning, in case he tries this again. Now as cute as you are, Tweety; I'd move aside... or else this big, bad Puddy Tat's gonna split your cage open" said Anthony, not pulling back his fist and had a confident smile on his face. As Ravel looked from the fist, directly into his eyes as he spoke... she now saw what Rias saw...

Ferocity...

Bravery...

Loyalty...

Drive...

Strength...

Heart...

Compassion...

All those things and everything similar radiated from that smile he gave... she couldn't help but blush. Then he suddenly DID pull it back, and looked to the sky. He was facing the camera (though he didn't realize this fact), his gaze piercing all that watched. "And that goes for the rest of you! NO ONE... messes with Rias Gremory, or ANY friend of mine... UNDERSTAND?! God or Demon... Angel or Devil... High-Class or Low-Class, I don't care who or what you are! If ANYONE, makes someone cry on my watch... your gonna have to answer... to the ITALIAN DRAGON EMPEROR!" Said Anthony, showing off his Gear as it glowed in agreement.

Rias' eyes began to glaze... he did it... he actually did it! "Anthony... you did it... son of a bitch... you _really_ did it..." she said, her voice softening with happiness. She felt like she could cry, and it showed in her voice. Sirzechs then got out of his chair. "This battle is over... go to him" he said, warmly. Without needing further provocation, Rias spread her wings. Back at the battlefield, the dimension began to fall apart. Ravel took her unconscious brother before they fell back to the Underworld... wait, they were in the air the whole time?!

"SHIT! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Screamed Anthony, starting to fall. If he had known THIS, he would've saved his Balance Breaker and just Holy Watered Riser! "AAAAAAAAAAAH... huh?... Oh. Thanks, Koneko" said Anthony, as he stopped falling but keep screaming until he realized he was being held by a flying Koneko. "Way to bring down the house, Anthony" said Akeno, also flying up. "Ya totally rocked the party!" Said Kiba, joining them. "Yeah. The Underworlds pretty cool place and all, but can we get Rias and go home?" Asked Anthony.

He regretted asking that when Koneko... "Sure... enjoy your flight."

After she let him go, Anthony flapped his arms and while he stayed up for 2 seconds thanks to cartoon physics... he inevitably started falling. "GAAAAAAAH-HA-HA-HAAAAAAA! YOU BIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!" The poor Italian-American cried out.

SMOOSH!

Phew... good thing he landed in this pillow... wait, what? Looking behind him, Anthony saw Rias' face full of tears... this time, they were of joy. The Devil hugged Anthony as she held them both in the night sky. "Anthony... thank you... you saved my life!" Rias said, embracing and caressing him, crying more happy tears. She was free... she was finally free!

-TIME BREAK-

FLASH!

A Griffon was summoned by Rias from a Gremory flyer she held out. "OH! I get it now! Gremory... Gryffindor... ya got a house sword too?" Anthony joked. "Very funny, it's my brothers" said Rias. "And he's so cute! Since you saved the day, Anthony; you should ride with Rias" said Akeno. "Wait, me? Why?" Asked Anthony. "It's tradition after a big celebration. We summon our family Griffon to ride the skies... unless, you don't want to?" Said Rias, suddenly looking a little bashful, which was a rare sight for Anthony to see. Everyone noticed Anthony looked nervous.

**[Calm down. I'm sure its not like your "ride" back in Grade School]** spoke Ddraig, making Anthony flinch. Did his dragon know about...? "Beg your pardon?" Asked Rias, looking interested. Anthony began to pray, PLEASE don't let Ddraig bring up... **[Oh, he hasn't told you? He once rid a pony when his school brought a petting zoo, but he flew off the second it ran... he couldn't put his short legs in the stirrups]** chuckled Ddraig. "I WASN'T TOO SHORT! THE STIRRUPS WERE TOO LONG!" Defended Anthony.

**[Then a week after that; his mother took him the County Fair, but he wasn't tall enough for any ride.]**

"THE MEASURING BARS WERE TOO HIGH!"

**[And a month after that; his father took him to an actual zoo, where he got his foot stuck in a Groundhog burrow.]**

"THAT WAS VERY! DEEP! HOLE!... SMETTERE DI RIDERE!"

The ORC and Sona laughed at Anthony's expense... even Koneko, who giggled cutely. Now if Anthony had the gall to call her short again, she had some ammo to return fire. "Grrrr... lets just go" Anthony grumbled, getting on the Griffons back and holding his hand out to help Rias up, which she did like the princess she was. Whipping the reins, the Griffon took off into the sparkling, beautiful night sky. As the ORC and Sona waved to them while the Griffon flew away...

**Akeno:** Don't slip outta the saddle!

**Kiba:** Or loose your footing!

**Koneko:** Or fall to your death.

**Anthony:** _(from afar)_ Screw you guys!

Sirzechs and his wife Grayfia watched as the scene played out. "Ya know, I was going summon that Griffon for them... in case Mister Messuri lost" admitted Sirzechs. Unlike his father, who wanted this marriage to take place, Sirzechs saw how Rias felt. Even with his position as Devil King, he had no control over what went on in the Gremory family. In fact, he even tried to make his father see reason, but the elder Gremory was very old fashioned... nothing will change that old dogs mind easily. Of course, even when he finds out about this, he'll have no power as Riser and Anthony had already set terms... he couldn't stop a deal from an opposing house, only make one.

Here's to hoping the old man drops his ambitions to force they're own daughter into a life she doesn't want to live...

"Thank goodness it didn't come to that... such a shame for a marriage to fall apart like this" said Grayfia, being sarcastic as she also knew of Rias' feelings on the matter. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Perhaps my father and Lord Phenex can find another form of common ground" said Sirzechs. "And Anthony... with his Balance Breaker now active, its only a matter of time before the White One seeks him out" said Grayifa. "I have faith in the young man... he's resourceful for a human, and has a strong will. He proved that today, saving my dear sister" said Sirzechs, continuing to watch the Griffon fly. He might not have been able to see his sister's face, but somehow... he sensed that she was indeed happy... the happiest she's ever been in her life...

-TIME BREAK-

About 2 minutes later up above, Anthony admired the view of the Underworld. And to think he and Asia were told it was a hellish place where chaos runs rampit... from what he's seen, that was far from the truth. It was beautiful, lights lit the city below them like his hometown. Speaking of which, now that he's conquered his past... should he ask the old man for _them_? As he was looking around, enjoying the sight, he felt Rias rub his arm... the one with his still active Sacred Gear. She looked at it with a pained expression, like as if this was her fault.

Deciding to try and lighten the mood, Anthony spoke up. "So... what were you gonna wear for your wedding? A dress of feathers? You'd probably rather wear poison ivy if it came to that" said Anthony, Rias gained a smile and gave a low giggle as a result... wonder why? Despite that, she went right back to staring at his arm, sadly. It was obvious to Anthony she was thinking about the Gear, but WHAT about it was the question. "Something wrong?" He asked. **[We'd thought you be happy]** said Ddraig, entering the conversation.

Rias sighed. "I am happy... but..." she said, looking at Anthony for a second, then back at the Gear. "You gave up your arm... just for me" she said, placing a hand on it. **[I did warn him of the consequences, but he was persistent. Like I told you before, he won't give up anything without a fight... even with a cost]** said Ddraig. Rias would be lying if she said she wasn't touched, Anthony has already done more for her than her own family ever did... but that still didn't stop her from feeling guilty. "Besides, it's no big deal. I'm more of a righty myself" joked Anthony.

"This isn't funny, Anthony. You may have stopped Riser, but this isn't the last we've heard of him, not by a long shot" said Rias, looking down at the city. "Then I'll give up my other arm" Anthony said, making Rias' eyes widen and look back at him. "Anthony..." Rias sighed.

"Then my legs."

"Stop it..."

"Including the good stuff between them."

"Please..." said Rias, turning away to avoid showing Anthony tears. However, he took her chin and gently guided it back into his eyes. "I'll give up this entire body... then if you reincarnate me again, I'll give up the other one. Nothing... is gonna stop me from protecting you, Rias. I'll ALWAYS run to your side" said Anthony. Rias felt her heart stop. The feeling of his touch, the softness in his eyes... she was in a trace, unable to look away from the Pawn... HER Pawn. "Now we're even" said Anthony, smiling and wiping a single tear from her face with a thumb. She knew what he meant... she saved his life... now he saved her's...

...

...

...

"Not yet..."

Anthony didn't hear her because she mumbled. "What did you s...?" He asked, but his question was silently answered when Rias kissed him, pulling his face into hers. (**AN:** Optional, but play the ending theme from the first anime series during the credits or full song... Study-X-Study I think its called) It was another lip-lock, only this time it was full of passion and not just something to turn him on. Her eyes were closed and Anthony didn't know how, but he sensed she was happy... well, that and he felt it. **_[Amazing...]_** Ddraig thought. Anthony didn't return the kiss... he was caught off guard by the sudden display of affection. He was glad Asia wasn't here though... that would be a 'pleasant' conversation.

Rias finally pulled away, a deep blush on her face. It was cute. "Uhhhhhh... good morning?" Said Anthony, blinking once with a blush on his cheeks... he couldn't think of anything else.

Rias giggled at the sight. "That was my first kiss, ya know" she said Hearing that, Anthony got back in his groove. "Heh. I'm sorry... first? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember your _first_ already being given... and don't hand me that Middle School bullshit: _oh, it didn't count_" he said, his voice becoming feminine at the last remark. "I wasn't in the right mind" Rias excused with a smirk. "A kiss is still a kiss, sweetheart" Anthony countered. "But you denied me" said Rias, pouting playfully, now back to her flirtatious-old self. "Um, NO! I denied you a saddle... YOU wouldn't get off the horse" Anthony joked. "Well, how about this? We were each others first, sound better?" Asked Rias.

Before Anthony could answer, **[That can't technically be true, as you WEREN'T his first]** Ddraig butted in. Anthony flinched upon hearing that. "SHUT UP! THAT'S NOT YOUR BUSINESS!" He yelled, though it wasn't clear if he was talking to both supernatural beings or just one. "Oh, really? So you lied about being a virgin?" Asked Rias, arms crossed under her chest, faking her emotions. She was perfectly aware Anthony never shared this information, she only assumed it, but she still felt the urge to poke fun at him.

"I AM A VIRGIN!" Shouted Anthony, then slapped his mouth shut with both hands. He didn't mean to let that slip out, but Ddraig and Rias cornered him and he panicked. He hoped no one down below heard that... he prayed that...

"Besides... there's nothing wrong with being celibate, it just means I haven't found a worthy partner yet. I'm saving myself for the perfect woman" Anthony recovered. He truly did feel this way, he just didn't think he'd have to tell anyone under these circumstances... let alone, Rias. It just felt kinda... no, SUPER awkward; mostly cause she was a girl. "Right... so, who was the lucky girl?" Asked Rias, willing the drop the subject, but was still jeal- _*ahem*_ interested; on whom was the one to take his first kiss. She kinda felt upset knowing it wasn't her, but she wouldn't say that out loud.

"No one special."

**[Irina Shido.]**

"WILL YOU BUTT OUT! IT DIDN'T COUNT!"

"Oh... so my kiss counts, but yours doesn't? How's that fair?" Asked Rias, enjoying this conversation. She missed being able to tease Anthony and see his silly reactions. "IT WAS DIFFERENT! We were in Grade School, our cuckoos' were barely worked out!" Anthony defended. "A kiss is still a kiss" Rias and Ddraig said at the same time, turning Anthony's logic on him. "... I hate you guys" Anthony said with his eyes half-closed. He gripped the reins of the Griffon to drive it back to the castle. Rias then leaned against him. "Hey... I liked it, though" she admitted, looking up at her hero with a blush. "Pfft, of course you did. Ya came back for seconds after all" Anthony joked in a confident tone, earning him a soft punch in his shoulder by the Devil close to him as they flew past the Underworlds moon.

"Your worse than Riser, ya know that?"

"Maybe... but at least I'm honest about it."

"Keep it up. Maybe I'll marry him next time he asks me."

"Go ahead! See if I run to your rescue again."

"... your an ass."

"Missed you too, Rias. Missed you too."

RING! RING! RING!

"What is that?" Asked Rias. "My phone, excuse me..." Said Anthony, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. "Even in the Underworld, you shouldn't talk and drive" joked Rias. "Be Quiet... hello?" Snapped Anthony, then answered whomever called. "Anthony? Thank God you... OW! Thank goodness you answered, I was beginning to worry" said Asia on the other end of the line. "Thanks Asia, but I got the cargo back safe and sound, there was no need to worry" Anthony assured his friend. "I know. Never doubted you, but I still worry" said Asia.

"Well is that the only reason you called? I'm on my way back now with our favorite King" Anthony said. "Oh well, I went back to my room after you left but... have you seen my Holy Water? I was sure I left it right here..." said Asia, unaware that Anthony's face froze.

**[BUS-TEEEEEEEEEEED]** Said Ddraig. (**AN:** If you played the song, it ends here.)

* * *

Don't worry, this story isn't over JUST yet! There is an epilogue which I will post soon, it'll answer some questions and will also be an original chapter no one has done before. Once again as stated above, a HUGE grazie to EVERYONE for their support. Plus, we'll finally get to see the Old Man who helped Anthony when he came to Japan... but what's he got that Anthony mentioned? See ya in the epilogue, guys!

_Special Grazie to:_

_**54godmora**: Even though your not the biggest fan of DxD, I appreciate you taking time my original __version. Big Grazie for you! Everyone check out his RWBY work. I just got into RWBY recently, and I gotta say 54godmora has talent! Show him some support!_

_**Rmarcano321**: For reviewing each chapter, even it was just to say something random. Show him some love and ready his works as well._

_**Thomassmith69**: Even if you only reviewed once, you brought up a good point. He's only written one story, but show him some support for it and get it a read!_

_**Omnisaurus** and his friend **Purp**: Joined the site this year, but he's got a larger fanbase than I do. Show him some love for his Ben10/DXD Xover!_

_**Hellhammer**: For song suggestions._

_**Emblemfan1**: A writer who's an amazing person who'll help ya if you ask. Show his Ben10/Rosario Vampire Xover some support, he'll love it!_

_**Ioloros019**: For heartfelt speeches. If you decide to writer, you've got an instant fan! Show him some love! Big Grazie for you!_

_**MizoreShirayukiFan**: Has been a member for a long time and knows his/her stuff._

_**Ace**: For helpful info I forgot, and reviewing when you got a chance._

_**Jon**: For some manga conformation... still no spoilers, PLEASE!_

_All other Guest reviews; and of course..._

_YOU!_

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Nella:** means "in"

2) **Su:** means "out"

3) **Cosa Stava Succedendo:** means "what was going on"

4) **Ingiuriare****:** means "insult"

5) **Nido:** means "nest"

6) **Ma Stai Scherzando:** means "are you kidding me"

7) **Farmi Arrabbiare:** means "pissing me off"

8) **Lo So: **means "I know"

9) **Buco: **can be used as another (and more discreet) way to say "asshole", though mostly used to call people a "prick" or "dick"

10) **Sulla Casa: **means "on the house"

11) **Lascialo Avere:** means "let'em have it"

12 **Smettere Di Ridere:** means "stop laughing"


	18. Chapter 18

1) **Rmarcano321**: I already reviewed your fics, you already asked. XD

2) **Emblemfan1**: The Man, Myth, Legend has reviewed... 4 times. That's a new record. Imagery I'm still working on, but I think I'm getting better at it. As for Anthony and the Boosted Gear, yes I'm aware emotions allow them to evolve... and I do have a few original abilities in store for Anthony. I only kept Dress Break cause as stated before, Ddraig is the perverted sub for Issei... you can't have DxD without SOME degree of perversion, let's be honest. Thanks for the tons of support, a shout-out to you was the least I could do.

3) **Ace**: Since Irnia's a church-going girl, I guess she'd like church music. And your welcome for the shout-out, Ace.

4) **Jon**: Your also welcome for the shout-out, and thanks for agreeing to not spoil. ;)

5) **Omnisaurus**: I've also noticed that as well, Asia being absent in some fanfics. I guess since she's too innocent, it comes across as annoying to some people. Glad you liked Dress Breaks introduction, wanted to have all 4 of them suffer instead of just the 3 Pawns... it was funner. Your welcome for the shout-out, you deserved it.

Here we are, the epilogue of **_The Italian Dragon Emperor_**. There's actually a few pages of it, so here's the first one. Enjoy!

* * *

**Epilogue: Page 1**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Anthony shut his alarm off... damn, he felt like he got rammed by a bus... a burning bus. That, and he got an earful from Asia when he got home. Firstly cause she was a caring girl, the second reason was taking her last vital of Holy Water without asking. Anthony apologized, though he brought up she could make more with his... new armament. That didn't stop her from reprimanding him, but she forgave all the same. Like Anthony said, she'd even forgive a bank robber. "_*YAWN!*_ Another day, another..." he said, bring his left hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes...

BANG!

"OW! What the fu... WAAAA!" Anthony yelped, seeing his arm... his Boosted Gear was still out! He tried un-summoning it, but it wouldn't respond. In fact when he did, he grabbed said arm in pain. **[I warned you]** said Ddraig. "Si... you did..." groaned Anthony. He knew that there'd be some consequences, like his arm hurting... but he couldn't just waltz into the school with a big ol' gauntlet for all to see! The Student Police might try to confiscate it (and fail for obvious reasons) ; then when it doesn't come off... "What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?" Asked Anthony aloud, looking around his room in vain for something that could help him.

Nothing. He tried the bathroom, but still nothing... unless he wanted to go around with an ass-tissue cast in the shape of a dragon arm.

He tried his washroom, there were a few long-sleeved shirts he hadn't gotten to washing yet... but it was hot today, plus the bulge from the Sacred Gear couldn't be hidden that way.

Lastly, he went to his go-to place... the kitchen! Sadly, all that was there were large brown paper bags... what was he gonna do?

-TIME BREAK-

Everyone stared at Anthony as he rode down the streets on his bike. People asked if he was ok, and a few kids (ages ranged from 7-11) asked to sign it, though some men looked at him in anger. Anthony just ignored everyone and headed to school as soon as he possibly could. Maybe he should have called Rias and requested to declare his home temporary enemy territory so he could promote to a Knight and rush down the streets too fast for anyone to see, but too late to turn around. He was already halfway to school with his new bike. It had an extended seat so Asia could hold onto his back like if she was on a motorcycle.

Actually... maybe that was where the hatred was coming from...

It also didn't help everytime he turned the handles to make a turn, his felt like someone stabbed his wrist with a needle. "Are you sure your ok, Anthony? Maybe I should drive instead?" Offered Asia. She actually came downstairs, hearing a fuss from outside her room. She discovered Anthony's Boosted Gear was out, but why did he summon it? Anthony couldn't lie to her, and told her the truth, that he woke up with it active on its own... and it hurt. Asia tried healing it, but it didn't seem to do anything. They couldn't ask Rias for help, as she had to leave early to catch up on ORC paperwork... she was behind due to the stress of her 'wedding'.

In short, there wasn't much either Sacred Gear wielder could do other than get ready for school. Asia had to cook breakfast this time though. "That's sweet, Asia. H..." Anthony was about to accept her offer, but then realized what that would entitle: reversed roles. And if he was behind her...

...

...

...

"IIIIIIIIII think I'll be fine... heheheh..." Anthony chuckled nervously. He did appreciate her offer, but the last thing he needed was to pull up to Kuoh Academy and the Perverted Duo seeing him THAT close to Asia, let alone the rest of the student body.

-TIME BREAK-

In the clubhouse, Rias was sitting at her oak desk, finishing the backed-up paperwork that had pilled her space. But even as she went through the documents, she couldn't stop thinking about Anthony and how far he went for her. Plus, the ride on the Griffon was oddly romantic... that's when _that_ happened. She was overfilled with joy and happiness, she couldn't help or stop herself. She didn't regret what she did though, she liked it and as far she she could tell... so did he, as he couldn't think of anything but the first few words she said to him when they first met.

She giggled softly at the memory. Even if it was only a few weeks ago, it seemed like it was only yesterday her life changed upon reviving him...

"What's so funny, Prez?" Asked Akeno, who was just finishing making her best friend tea. Poor girl had been through so much... and would have been through SO much more if Anthony didn't step up. She was glad was back where she belonged and back to normal. Guess Rias was wrong about all men being the same... sure, Anthony could be egotistic, but it was charming in a weird way. At least he believed family came first... if only her uncle felt the same way... she hoped the old bastard was rotting away. And don't even get her started on her Father...

Anthony... maybe he was different...

"Oh, nothing. Was just imagining the look on Risers face" excused Rias, which wasn't a total lie. She could just imagine how the Phenex felt being offed by a reincarnated human... now THAT would be a sight to see! Suddenly, they heard some voices out the door. One sounded like moaning. Koneko also looked up from her snack, which was a fried noodle hotdog. The doors opened to reveal Anthony and Asia, the male Italian holding his arm in discomfort while the female one was up against him.

Rias acted immediately. She shot up from her desk, went around and went over to her hero as fast as her sexy legs could carry her. "Anthony! What's wrong?... and, why is your arm wrapped up?" Asked Rias, concerned of her favorite Pawns safety, but also confused as to why his left arm was bandaged... "And with toilet paper?" She asked, adding to her previous question. "Ugh... this" Anthony answered, undoing the paper and revealing his Sacred Gear. Rias didn't understand at first, but then realized she felt a more dragonic signature coming from that arm than a human one.

"Woke up this morning... hurt like a bitch" said Anthony. Rias carefully caressed his arm, eyeing it and feeling it more. "It must be the dragon energy from Ddraig, its affecting your arm both internally and externally" Rias deduced. **[And did he listen?... No]** said Ddraig. Anthony was about to retort, but felt a sudden pain in his arm and clutched it along with his teeth. This REALLY hurt. "But, why the... makeshift cast?" Asked Rias. "Well, I couldn't exactly waltz into school with an oversized arm all day, could I?!" Anthony said a little rudely, mostly due to the pain.

Koneko had a response for that as soon as she finished chewing...

"So you wrapped it in ass tissue?"

"..."

Anthony just grumbled, bit his lip, and held in his insult. That, and his arm hurt like hell. "It was this, or walking around with a huge paper bag; would've made me look weird. I asked Asia to try and heal it, but it didn't seem to work... was hoping you'd help with your healing magic" said Anthony, choosing to ignore the freshman's remark. Rias was tempted to joke that he just _needed_ a reason to see her naked, but held it in. Her poor human been through allot, so she decided to lay off on the teasing. "Of course... Akeno? Mind joining in?" Asked Rias, as she and Asia helped Anthony to the opposite couch. "Heheh, sure. Sounds like fun" the senior student joked.

All 3 girls crowded around around Anthony while Koneko just continued to eat. She could help but... no. She might lose herself. As bad as she felt for Anthony, she just couldn't bring herself to... do that. One hour had passed and finally, the arm started to shrink. The Boosted Gear went back into Anthony's body and his hand returned to normal. The girls and Anthony sighed in reli...

FLASH!

"YIKE!"

It burst out of Anthony's hand, back to the light. "Heal, heal, heal!" They said in unison, redoubling their efforts at healing the Italian. "Heal, ya stupid arm, heal!" Said Akeno. **[That's MISTER Stupid Arm, to you]** chuckled Ddraig, finding their attempt at 'fixing' Anthony to be quite humorous. "Not funny, Charizard" snapped Anthony.** [But you do realize this is a waste of time and magic, right? You gave me your arm, the dragon energy needs time to settle]** Ddraig explained. "So you mean to tell me I have to walk around all day like a partially-dressed knight?" Asked Anthony.** [Well this would be faster if you had a sage art healer]** said Ddraig. This made Koneko gulp loudly on the next bite of her fried hotdog, but luckily only Rias saw it, as she was the only one that _knew_.

"Da wha...?" Asked Anthony, confused. Asia and Akeno also had the same reaction. **[Sage Arts... Senjutsu... ever hear of it?]** Asked Ddraig, sounding a little annoyed. Did he have to teach this host EVERYTHING? "... like... uh... ninjas?" Asked Anthony nervously, having a feeling he was wrong. **[NO! That's Chakra! I'm talking about Yokai energy. That should speed this up, if she were to join us]** said Ddraig, making Koneko flinch and Rias look concerned at the freshman... he knew? That dragon KNEW?!

Fortunately once again, only Rias noticed Koneko's reaction.

"She...? She who? And what Yokai, there's only devils here" Asked Anthony, totally lost on what Ddraig was saying. Koneko calmed down a little, but if Ddraig spills the beans... **[Ugh... you seriously ARE an idiot]** the dragon answered, going silent. "HEY! HOW... AM I AN IDIOT?!... Ddraig?... DDRAIG! COME ON, MAN! NOT THE SILENT TREATMENT AGAIN!" Anthony said, but the dragon dwelling within didn't respond. Asia, Akeno and Rias keep working their magic and sure enough; the Boosted Gear finally vanished... though it took half the school day.

Sona was able to give them a pass, thankfully.

-TIME BREAK-

While Anthony was walking down the path, he saw his two 'friends' carry ladders by the girls locker rooms again. Sighing, he went to deal with the situation. Of course, he couldn't just knock them down... nah, that'd be rude. He had another idea in mind...

Knocking on the door, he awaited patiently for someone to answer it... why did girls take so long anyway? The bathroom, he could understand... gossip, boys; boys and gossip... fine. What could they possibly doing that would take about 10 minutes to answer a knock, when a simple 10 seconds is all it would take a guy to open the door? Anthony began to ponder this, as they did have certain assets that guys don't... SLAP! He slapped himself. He's been hanging out with Ddraig and those 2 pervs for too long.

A girl finally did answer, one of the girls from the Kendo Club Anthony hired once to look after his friends while he took a nap. She recognized Anthony of course, as one of the only foreign students aside from Asia. She was about to ask what he wanted, but he held a finger to her lips along with his own... and pulled a note out of his pocket, handing it to the girl and walked off. Confused, the girl unfolded the note and read its contents... and in confusion, went back inside.

...

...

...

And opened the locker number that was written on it, to find somethings that should've be there.

"PERVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTS!"

Kiba, who was walking down the path Anthony had used moments ago with some girls that were members of his fan club, heard the scream. Looking in the direction of it... weren't those Anthony's friends?... And why were they being chased by girls with broomsticks, sports equipment and Kendo swords? He then heard a loud crunching sound next to him, to see Anthony eating a large bowl of popcorn and stuffing his face with huge handfuls, some corns falling out. "_*MUNCH... MUNCH... MUNC-*_..." Anthony noticed his Knight friend staring at him but looking out the side of his eyes. With a full mouth, he answered with: "... Vant fome?"

The Italian handed him the bowl, but the Knight politely declined with a raised hand, an awkward smile... the fangirls enjoyed the show though, and the popcorn...


	19. Chapter 19

Only 2 people to shout-out? Come on, guys! I know we can do better than that. Perhaps this new page will get me some more reviews to respond too. Anyway...

1) **Jon:** Yes I have, its a fun game. Looking forward to buying the sequel. As hinted once before, since Xenoiva so also Italian, she will also have some *ahem*... words with Anthony. This is actually another Italian stereotype, which I'll go into detail about when we get there.

2) **Emblemfan1:** Good to know I still got it with humor. I've come a long way, and of course the credit goes to you, for the pointers and such.

This next page will answer the age-old question: how did Anthony remain human? As promised, its all original, so I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Epilogue: Page 2**

A day later, Rias was sitting at her desk once again after school. She was finally finished with the backed up paperwork, and now had time to herself... until the next contract, that is. As she was about to get her bearings and leave, she wondered what Anthony was up to back at the house, when a magic circle opened up on the floor... more powerful than Risers. Floating up from it was a young man with light blue eyes and green hair, sporting handsome green robes to match. Rias, realizing who this was, bowed immediately after recovering from her initial shock. "Sir Beelzebub... to what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked.

The man was none other than Ajuka Beelzebub, the last Satan alive and the creator of the Evil Pieces... also the current leader of the entire Underworld. The last time she and him spoke, it was about Anthony's failed reincarnation. What could he want now? "Miss Gremory... sorry I was late, nor could I attend your engagement party" he said. While his tone was dry, Rias sensed he knew about the _outcome_ of that party. "I'm actually here to speak about him... is he available?" Asked the Underworld King. Rias knew exactly whom he was talking about. "I'm sorry... no. He''s actually..." Rias tried to explain, but the king held a hand to silence her, then spoke 4 words: "Take me to him."

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony and Asia were cooking dinner. They also invited the rest of the ORC over to surprise Rias once she got home as a celebration. It was Anthony's idea but when asked why, he shrugged and said: "Solo Perché".

In truth, it was actually because Rias has been leaving home early and had no time for herself, so he figured he'd do this to cheer her up; help her relax a little bit. "Asia? Did you open the cans of pomodoro yet?" Asked Anthony. "I did for her, she was busy chopping garlic" said Akeno. She was in an apron, that had some pomodoro spots all over it. "Oh, thank-" Anthony was about to thank her, but he noticed some pomodoro had splattered on the chest area of the apron... and with her large bust, some was right in the middle of her cleavage.

Akeno noticed this of course but instead of being embarrassed about it; she took her finger, scooped it up... and sucked in it... REALLY sucked on it, tongue swirling around her finger and all. Anthony didn't know if she was putting on a show for him, or was innocently unaware of the effect the act was having on him. He forced himself to turn around and wash his hands... even though he already did.

Suddenly, the older girl lightly hugged him from behind. Anthony had to hold in the urge to gasp. "Your a real good cook, Anthony. Did I ever tell you that?" She asked. "Uh... you might have mentioned it" he said, trying to remain calm. He didn't know if Ddraig was listening or not, but was thankful they weren't casting spells this time. The last thing he needed was a mess of his beloved kitchen. Akeno giggled, her breath hitting Anthony's earlobe. "Seriously... it's _delicious_" Akeno said, emphasizing on 'delicious' while licking her lips.

It might have been the closeness between her and his ear, but that lip smacking seemed VERY loud to Anthony.

Thankfully, she backed off and went to do other things to prepare for Rias' arrival. Anthony heaved a sigh. Looking around for a towel, he saw Kiba helping Asia, and Koneko snacking on stuff. "Where do you put it all?" Joked Anthony from his hand-drying, seeing the short student sneak a shrimp from his shrimp scampi. She didn't flinch at his sudden call. "It's good" she said. "Oooooooh... so I AM a good cook?" Anthony joked some more, folding the towel and hanging it in a drawer. "... your decent" she said while turning her head away, not wanting to give the human the satisfaction.

"piccolo micio testardo" chuckled Anthony, walking past her...

STOMP!

He regretted that decision with a whine as the 'piccolo micio' smashed her tiny foot into his. It was her turn to walk away, while he held his foot and hopped on one leg. _'Me and my big, Italian mouth'_ thought Anthony.**_ [If only you kept it shut...]_ **Ddraig said. Before Anthony could make a comeback for that, the sound of a magic circle filled the room. Just outside of the small kitchen, 2 Devils appeared. One was the well-known and loved Rias Gremory, the other was a stoic man that looked older than Riser by a year or three.

Noticing the guest of honor appeared, though accompanied by an unknown party, Anthony stopped hopping around on his leg and walked like normal... it still hurt though.

"Benvenuto a casa, Rias! Whose your friend?" Asked Anthony, fighting the urge to limp. Before Rias could answer, her "friend" walked over to Anthony with no hostility in his steps, though his aura told a different story. He was a powerhouse, no demonstration needed. Akeno, Koneko and Kiba knew exactly who this was; but kept their distance due to his mysterious aura. The question was: why was he here, and for what purpose? He approached Anthony with no emotion on his face. "Uh... was it something I said?" Asked Anthony, a little nervous.

The man did not speak, just held his hand out... at Anthony's chest. The American felt a little intimidated. "Uh... heheh, can I offer you an appetizer?" He asked, doing so to cover up his nervousness. Right as he finished saying this, Anthony's chest began to glow a little. "HEY! HEY! WHAT'CHA DOING?!" Flailed Anthony, covering his chest with his arms... he felt like one of the girls he Dress Broke. Something came out of his body, and everyone was surprised at what they saw...

It was his Evil Piece... but something was wrong with it.

When Evil Pieces are inactive, they are white. When they are implanted into a host body, they turn dark red to symbolize its activation. Anthony's however... was light red, and had white spots or small white stripes along it. Anthony didn't know what was going on, but did noticed the man's expression changed slightly. "Just as I thought..." said the man, removing his hand as Anthony's Evil Piece went back inside him. "Uh... who are you again?" Anthony was actually gonna make a joke about almost getting 'his piece' stolen, but instead changed to wondering whom this man was. As far as he was concerned, Rias was his master; so only she could mess with his Evil Piece, right?

Who was this guy... and where did he come from?

"Anthony... this is Ajuka Beelzebub. The creator of the Evil Pieces, and the leader of the Underworld" introduced Rias, still shocked at the sight of Anthony's Evil Piece. Something was clearly wrong with it. "Huh? I thought your brother was the leader" said Anthony, gaining a confused look. "There are four of us. One individual can't have all the power, can he?" Said Ajuka. "Uh... no... I guess not" said Anthony, processing the information. So instead of one leader, there was four? And he thought human politics were confusing...

"But seriously, what was with taking my piece, man? At least take me out to dinner first" Anthony joked, attempting to make conversation. While Akeno giggled, it didn't have the same effect on the Devil Leader. He just kept the same stoic look, seemingly unimpressed at Anthony's joke. "Miss Gremory contacted me after she revived you, concerned why you remained human" said Ajuka, staying on the topic. "Human or not, I'm the only Pawn she'll EVER need" said Anthony, bringing up Rias' own words, and getting a little defensive. Seemed this guy was just like Riser, looking down at him cause he failed to reincarnate properly.

Rias couldn't help but blush. He remembered what she said...

"I'm not here to discuss your human status. I'm here because I'm quite interested myself on how you possibly remained one" said Ajuka, keeping his calm tone. "Well, your the big-shot Doc... use your DeLorean and go study me" Anthony snapped. The others (aside from Asia) were kinda nervous the way Anthony was talking to Ajuka. He was just as powerful as Sirzechs, and was an enemy you didn't want to make. "There's no need, your Evil Piece told me all I need to know" said Ajuka.

"Then what is it? Am I too strong for your little toy?" Anthony snapped again. "... On the contrary... your just the opposite" said Ajuka, surprising everyone. That made no sense! Anthony had a strong will, and the LITERAL Dragon of Domination in his body; so how could he possibly be too weak for the Evil Pieces used on him? And that's another thing! It took ALL EIGHT of Rias' Pawns to bring him back, so where did Ajuka get this information from?

Rias couldn't keep quiet, mostly cause she found it disrespectful that Ajuka called her favorite game piece weak. Again... ALL EIGHT PAWNS! How could a weak person need that much power to be brought back to life? "Please forgive me, Great Devil; but that doesn't make sense. Anthony required all 8 of my Pawns. He didn't respond with any other piece" Rias defended. **[As well as having me inside his body. He's also my first host to activate me during his infant years]** Ddraig spoke up, getting into the discussion.

This last bit of information was a shock to the Devil King, so much that his stoic face cracked slightly before recovering a second later. "Even so... he has a defect, does he not?" Asked Ajuka. "Oh, I'LL GIVE YA A DEFECT!" Yelled Anthony, becoming angry. He didn't care how strong this guy was! No one but no one mocks him under his roof, and gets away with it! Anthony threw a punch at him, his Sacred Gear coming out as well. No one was in range to stop him except his target, who put up a barrier.

CRACK!

For a human, Anthony did have some power, the Devil King had to admit... but he was still nowhere near the same level as he was, so Anthony's assault was still blocked. The human did manage to crack his barrier slightly, the Devil King couldn't remember the last time that happened. The ORC was too stunned to do anything. What was Ajuka gonna do now? Was Anthony gonna be ok? Why didn't the idiot control his temper? The Devil King just shoved Anthony off, the enraged human trying to regain his balance. Great, now he was being made a fool of in his own house! This walking tube of hair gel was going down... he might not have holy water this time, but he'll sure as hell still try!

"... Miss Gremory, why not declare this enemy territory? Give Mister Anthony here a Queen's edge?" Ajuka said, surprising everyone. They were gonna battle? Now?! HERE?! Rias was about to protest, but... "DO IT, RI! LET ME SHOW THIS ASSHOLE THE POWER OF THE GREMORY'S!" Anthony roared. Frankly, the poor girl didn't know whether to be thankful for that comment, or afraid of Anthony attacking one of the 4 Great Satans. She pondered on this for a moment and while she normally would have declined, the Devil King DID indeed ask for it... literally. She merely nodded her head, her eyes locked on Anthony's.

Seeing him like this made her heart skip a beat. He was either brave or stupid... but that's one of the reasons she liked him. With the King's approval, the symbol of the Queen surrounded Anthony again. He just chose Queen without thinking...

...

...

...

And just like the 2 times before, it failed. Cursing under his breath, he attempted to try again. Much to his surprise though, the Devil King before him powered down. "That's quite enough, this further proves my point" said Ajuka. "What point? That your figa?" Asked Anthony, still mad. **[Anthony. He was generous enough to use a mere fraction of his power. He could have killed you with anything more, so I suggest you calm yourself, before you do something stupid again]** warned Ddraig. While he had no control over what his host body would do and was obligated to the will of his current master, that didn't mean he couldn't voice his opinion. "Mister Messuri... did it ever strike you as odd that you can't promote into a Queen?" Asked Ajuka, and this got everyone's attention immediately. Did Ajuka have an answer for that mystery?

"... so what?! I don't need to promote to a Queen anyway! I've got 3 other pieces to chose from!" Anthony countered, though even he knew it wasn't that good of a point. While each piece gave him a boost, they had weaknesses along with them. A Knight was fast, but lacked defense. Bishops had much Demonic Power, but not much strength. And Rooks had amazing attack and defense skills, but low Demonic Power. And of course, a Queen combined all the positive traits of those pieces, and had virtually none of the weaknesses.

"While the latest Rating Game report and your sparing match with Riser shows you can, its been observed that you lack either the skill or the power to promote into a Queen. Even after unlocking a Balance Break, you still are unable to, even with all that power" said Ajuka, still calm. This was starting to agitate Anthony greatly, it came across to him as Ajuka being smug. "Then PLEASE! Share with us, professor! You said my Evil Piece told you everything? Well, spill it! Did I happen to receive a defective model?" Anthony snapped.

Ajuka was silent for a moment before answering. "... the defective model... is you..."

That made more silence ring out for a full minute. Was that the truth? Because it sounded like an insult. "Reliable sources of mine reported that you were premature... is that correct?" Asked Ajuka. The ORC didn't know what this had to do with anything, but Ajuka spoke again before anyone else could. (**AN:** Upcoming explanation is something I made up, as the blueprints of HOW the Evil Pieces were created and HOW they function is never specified at the time of writing this.)

"Your silence speaks volumes. The Evil Piece system wasn't initially designed for someone like you. It was first tested on average, fully grown humans. They were handpicked to be the best possible test subjects for my latest invention. As such; they had no deformities, no health problems, not a single abnormality. The Evil Piece copies everything down to the bodies genetics, so it isn't detected as a threat in the immune system. However, because your body was born prematurely... your Evil Piece was affected and as a result, became incomplete. This not only makes him the first human Pawn in history..."

"But also why he can't promote into a Queen..." finished Rias, sadly. Because the Pawn inside of him copied everything about his body, it to was affected by his birth defect. Anthony was mentally and physically strong... but not genetically. And in all honestly, Rias didn't know THAT was how the system worked. She took it for granted, because she just thought:

Step 1 - Find a potential servant.

Step 2 - Place desired Piece into body, and...

CLICK! GOTCHA! Servant was caught... apparently it wasn't as easy as that game...

Anthony stood in silence. Even with 8 Pawn pieces, the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet and a new arm to go with it... he still lacked the ability to promote into a Queen... because of himself. His own stupid body was the reason he couldn't be the best he could be... and he almost lost Rias for this reason as well. Sure he won her back in a rematch, but that's only because Sirzechs helped arrange it. The ORC would have lost their president... because of him.

**[I suppose this explains allot. During the Rating Game and even now, the Pawn Piece within him resonates, but ultimately fails to promote Anthony into a Queen. If this is true, then its too much for the incomplete piece to handle, which is why it shuts down. A Queen is basically 3-in-1, which also explains why the other promotions work fine... they don't take that much power, and is easier on the piece itself]** Ddraig deduced, indirectly making Anthony feel worse.

The female members of the ORC (even Koneko, though she didn't understand why) wanted to strangle the reptile if they could. Did he HAVE to be so vocal about his opinions?

A small magic circle appeared over Ajuka's ear. "Great Satan, Ajuka? The meeting starts in 5 minutes, where are you?" Asked a female voice, most likely one of his servants. "I had a prior commitment. Tell them I'll be there shortly" said Ajuka. "Yes sir" said the female voice, the magic circle disappearing. The Devil King noticed Anthony's expression... it was pained, and fulled with sorrow. The ORC members were also looking at the human with concern, as they clearly recognized the emotion on Anthony's face. "Well its clear you need time to process this information. I'll be taking my leave" said Ajuka.

"Don't feel too bad, Anthony. I'll be recalling all Evil Pieces soon, so your existence serves some sort of purpose. All Evil Pieces will soon be modified to compensate for any... issues... the host body has. From this day forward, you will be the first... and LAST... failed reincarnation" said Ajuka and without another word, vanished into his own magic circle.

Anthony didn't respond. He just stood with his head down. "Anthony..." said Rias, beginning to approach him with her hand out to console him... but something inside her told her to stop. That, and Anthony's body began to shake... was he crying? "...Asia?... Get ready for dinner..." Anthony said, his tone not as cheerful as it usually is. "Um, y-yes; o-of course" said Asia, going ahead and following Anthony's request. She wanted o say something, but knew Anthony wasn't in the mood right now to hear anything more about Ajuka's big reveal.

The "party" turned into a silent get-together. It was tasty, but the flavor of the conversation minutes earlier was still fresh...

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Solo Perché:** means "just because"

2) **Pomodoro:** means "red/tomato sauce"

3) **Testardo:** means "stubborn"

4) **Piccolo Micio:** means "little puss(y)"

5) **Benvenuto a Casa:** means "welcome home"

6) **Figa:** while the correct, and commonly known, definition of this word is to call someone a "fanny"; it can also mean "pussy(ing) out"


	20. Chapter 20

1) **Rmarcano321**: I never said anything about a Rating Game last chapter dude, now I know your not really reading the story :(

2) **Ioloroso019**: You put this review in chapter one, but you talk about the events of last chapter. I almost didn't see it, so try to be more careful next time, bud. There is actually a hint of the Holy Sword Arc here, which will give you a taste of the direction I'm gonna go with it. I feel bad you don't see my reasoning for Anthony remaining seem totally legit; but hey, ya can't win them all. While this won't be made into an arc, its actually a step in foreshadowing a certain Devil he will met and bond with. Anthony will have a deeper relationship with him than Issei did because of this reason. Can anyone guess whom this devil could be? Thanks for sticking with me, I'm grateful for your support!

3) **Ace**: At least someone finds the 'remained human' reason to be credible. I've been hinting at it for a while.

4) **54godamora**: Aww, look at you; caring about Anthony. That makes me feel good, like I've accomplished something. It makes me feel like I made not only a relatable character, but also a likable one; which also makes me happy. I didn't think I'd be able to tug at someones heartstrings, but looks like I succeeded with you. Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen to Anthony... though I think Issei dies in the manga at one point... (**AN:** NO SPOILERS! I'M LOOKING AT YOU, JON!)

Speaking of whom...

5) **Jon**: I actually just answered this question indirectly. I was looking to make a relatable and likable character. In this case, Anthony himself.

This will be yet another original chapter, it will answer some questions... and slap you in the face with something you NEVER could have saw coming. It'll feel like it'll come out of left field, but its been one of the end goals since this project was started. I can tell you more, but why not read the answers for yourself? Also, the chapter is a little short, but I'm dealing with mold in my recording room that I use for... well... recording YouTube videos. So it might be sometime before the next video or next chapter/fic is posted. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

**Epilogue: Page 3**

After dinner that night, Anthony did clean up with Rias and Asia, as everyone else had already left; but both girls noticed the lack of emotion in his face. Usually, he tries to make even tedious tasks enjoyable; such as doing homework or contracts for clients. But it appeared that he was doing stuff now just to get it done. He didn't even say good night, just washed his hands after cleaning and went straight upstairs into his room. Rias was going to join him due to feeling sorry for him, but Asia stopped her by gently grabbing her arm with a pained expression... and a shake of her head.

Rias' first instinct was something along the lines of (to put lightly): _WTF bitch?! My servant needs me!_ But after reading the expression on Asia's face more clearly, the red-head realized she'd only make the situation worse. This was unfortunately something, even she as a Devil, couldn't fix. Anthony's own body, was the culprit that couldn't be caught nor charged. It was something he had to live with everyday, the knowledge of the fact that HE was his own roadblock.

In fact, Rias knew of one other person in her family that had a similar problem to his...

_2 days later..._

Anthony hadn't been to school either. Some of the students, especially some female ones, began to talk and express their worries. The Perverted Duo along with some males were not pleased. They thought with Anthony gone, they had a better chance to... steal the spotlight, so to speak. The ones who were afflicted the most were the ORC, their favorite Pawn hadn't left his home in days, let alone show up for school. Kiba was sitting on one couch next to Asia; and Koneko was eating, or at least trying to, but a strange feeling in her chest prevented her from doing so. She did force herself to take a few bites of her snack, which was a small egg roll. But ultimately, the odd feeling she was having stopped her completely, and she put the snack down on the small coffee table in front of her.

She didn't understand why though... maybe she was she full?

Rias was sitting at her big desk trying to focus on contracts, and failing, to do so. Akeno was standing next to Rias, eyeing her body language. If she had any doubts about Rias' feelings, they were all gone now. The red-head obviously cared deeply about her newest servant, which is not to say she didn't care about her others... but Anthony? It was different. Clearly different. It might have been just started out as teasing in the beginning, then a blooming friendship a few weeks after... but now?... It seemed to be turning into something a little bit more...

CREEK!

The sound of the oak doors got everyone's attention. Looking up...

"ANTHONY?!" Was the sound of an almost-squealing of Rias, partially shooting up in her chair. She didn't expect to see Anthony due to his mental state, but here he was. Everyone didn't move, still processing what they were seeing. A moment of silence later, Anthony walked up to Rias' desk. "... so?... What's the next assignment?" He asked with a silly smile.

...

...

...

SLAP!

"... ow?" Was the only thing Anthony could say in response to Rias slapping him across the face, his head also snapping sideways due to the force of the impact. He also answered like Ned from _Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed_. He began to feel the mark the red-haired Devil gifted him, but that's when she glomped the American from in front. He didn't know if she ran around the desk, or leaped over it... she moved faster than Kiba that time.

The redhead hugged Anthony tightly, and also was tearing up a little. "Don't you EVER... do that again! You haven't left your in 2 days!" Rias said between gasps, as she was trying not to cry. This was a shock to the ORC. Anthony more-so. Where did this affection suddenly come from? It couldn't just be teasing, could it?_** [Are you THAT dense?] **_Asked Ddraig. Before Anthony could answer Ddraig, "Your an asshole! 2 days... 2 fucking days! No text, no call... not even at LEAST summoning Rassei to let me know your ok! You had me worried sick!" Cried Rias.

Anthony didn't know what else he could do, so he just hugged back. Rias seemed to calm down at his touch, so at least there was that... although he had to try to part himself away from her an extra time due to her arms locking in place. "Yeah... sorry about that... was taking allot of things in, ya know?" Said Anthony, finally managing to part from the redhead. Rias wiped a tear off her face. "That's fine... just tell me next time" she said. "Alright... deal. Can you just do me one favor?" Asked Anthony. "Of course, anything you need" said Rias.

"Can you take me here?" Asked Anthony, as he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Rias.

"Lezaza's?" Rias asked aloud with a cocked eyebrow. She knew the place. It was a restaurant that wasn't too far from Kuoh Academy, and it was quite popular with the students for this reason... plus they have amazing deserts. But why would Anthony have...? "Wait... you work THERE?" Asked a surprised Rias, putting the pieces together. She didn't think Anthony would be working at that restaurant of all places. "Yeah. Loyal employee since the day I came to this town" said Anthony.

"How come you never told me?" Asked Rias. "You never asked" smirked Anthony with a shrug. "Why couldn't ya just go there yourself?" Asked Koneko in her normal monotone voice. "... gee, I don't know. Maybe invite you guys FOR LUNCH!" Anthony answered sarcastically while glaring at the freshman. "But today's Wednesday, they don't open until 12" said Akeno, who found it sweet that Anthony was inviting everyone for a group lunch, but confused as it was 10:00AM... the restaurant wouldn't open for a few more hours. Anthony grinned, and pulled a set of jiggling keys out of his pocket. "They will be soon."

* * *

Again, sorry for the short chapter, but I had to get something out for you guys. I'll see ya guys next time, have a good one! :)


	21. Chapter 21

Another short chapter, but its the best I can do right now, given the circumstances of my home. It's been very stormy lately, I lost power for 2 days their's even MORE mold than I expected... but at least I was able to get this out for you to hold you guys over. I'm also gonna be honest, this epilogue is killing me. I had the idea in my head but as I started writing it, more batshit crazy ideas popped in my head and I've been going over each one to see which one would fit the tone of this story best for the upcoming sequel.

It's the same with my **Symbiote of Yokai** fic. There's so much I wanna try and many new ideas I wanna put out there; it's allot, ya know? I apologize how slow this fic, as well as my others, are coming along. When before, I had new chapters every week; now it seems they come out 3-5 weeks at a time. Anyway, enjoy this small chapter, but first:

1) **54godamora:** Thank you for not spoiling. Its the end goal of this epilogue.

2)** Ace:** You'll see what kind of restaurant right now.

3) **Omnisaurus:** Glad your all caught up, and glad you enjoyed the chapters. The reason behind Anthony weakness was meant to be a shocker, though I did foreshadow it if you go back and read. Plus, it's entirely original. The last chapter was actually cut short for the reasons I gave above that page, so I don't think your turning into Purp, I didn't expect anyone to really comment in that chapter due to how short it is.

* * *

**Epilogue: Page 4**

Teleporting to the restaurant was actually easier than Rias thought. Not a single person noticed them because Anthony suggested to pop up in an alleyway in-between the restaurant and a KFC next door... though once they went onto the streets, people shot them glances. What were a bunch of high schoolers, especially 4 girls and 2 boys, doing in a dark alley at this time of day? Of course, they minded their own business once Anthony went in front of the diner and took out the set of keys he had, figuring they were employees or something. The sign in the door was flipped on 'closed'... their just going to work, no other reason random teens are at a building, right?

As Anthony started unlocking the door, he paused suddenly, but only for a second before continuing. Rias just so happened to catch a glimpse of his face... he looked troubled for some reason.

Inside; Lezaza's was the size of a small diner. Probably able to fit about 100 or so people, and that's including the 5 stools lined up at the bar. Like most diners, this one had a giant menu on the wall. They sold sushi, ramen, breakfast and lunch items; and (unsurprisingly due to Anthony's background) pizza. Many decorations also hung up around the shop, be it pictures or posters. Some of them the ORC recognized: popular bands and pop idols, some old but still well-renowned anime characters/franchises, and even some top sports players and music stars. Some things they did not know of included:

1) Some 70's movie with the tagline: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse"

2) A black-and-white poster with a young girl posing on it (she looked to be in her mid 20's). It was an old poster, so most of the words were faded, but the word "Monroe" was still visible.

3) There was a postcard on the wall with a cooked turkey on it. It had the words "thanks" and "giving"... whatever that meant.

Before they could take in more of the sights, the kitchen door swung open. "MOMMA MIA! CAN'T YOU READ! WE'RE NOT A-OPE...!" Yelled a slightly heavyset man. He wore an apron (he was a cook obviously) with blue suspenders and a red shirt, sporting a matching hat. He stopped his speech when he looked at the group... Anthony specifically. "Well, son of-a bitch. Look what-a stallion lead in! Shouldn't you be in school?" Asked the man, his tone becoming more friendly. "That's funny coming from a dropout, stronzo" said Anthony jokingly, walking towards the heavyset man. The man in question held out his arms and gave Anthony a bear hug, which the student returned.

Based on this interaction, the ORC deduced that this man and Anthony must be close.

"Hahaha, what'cha doing-a here now? Lezaza give-a you-a day off" said the man, giving a hearty laugh while hugging Anthony before letting go. Rias once again noticed Anthony's expression change before recovering a second later. What exactly was bothering him? "Just... uh... eh, you know me. Could never stay away" Anthony white-lied. The man seemed to buy it though. "Aye. You've practically been raised here since Lezaza himself took-a ya in" said the man. This came as a surprise to the group. The same man who helped Anthony... also owned this very diner? "Yeah... hey, Luigi? Is he in today?" Asked Anthony. "He's in the back. Ya need need me to call-a him out?" Asked the man, now known as Luigi.

"Er, no. This is... kinda personal..." said Anthony, his voice trailing off a bit. Luigi seemed to understand Anthony's tone, and nodded. Anthony turned back towards his friends. "This'll only take a minute" he said, turning around to head inside the door Luigi entered, when Anthony felt his hand was grabbed. Looking behind him, he saw Rias gently holding him back. "I'm going with you" she said, her eyes full of understanding. She wanted to support Anthony on whatever he was going through.

"That's... not necessary" said Anthony. He was touched by Rias' kindness... but didn't bother arguing since she hardened her glare at him. "Whatever my servant needs, I'll be there" she said kindly, though the underlying meaning was her telling him she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "... servant?" Asked Luigi, confused. Anthony got nervous, but thought of a quick excuse. "Uh... its couple talk! YEAH! Ya know: daddy, servant, master... it's a kink, hehehehehe" Anthony white-lied again. Embarrassed, he went in the back, not realizing he and Rias were still hand-in-hand.

"... Kids these days..." said Luigi.

-TIME BREAK-

Walking through the kitchen, more workers shouted praise at Anthony as he walked in. It was clear to Rias that it wasn't just Luigi and the man running this joint whom Anthony was close with, but all of the employees. He's been here for a long time after being taken in by the big bossman, so it made sense that they were much like a family... that, and it funny seeing Anthony's red face when he had to explain why he was holding hands with his 'girlfriend', many of the boys working here kept whistling in her direction and saying she was a keeper.

Once they got out of the kitchen area and in front of the office, Anthony heaved a sigh. "Your cute when your embarrassed" said Rias with a smirk. "I... I was NOT embarrassed!" He denied. "Your face was as red as my hair" Rias said. "Its the... heat from the kitchen, that's all!" Anthony denied again. "I don't mind us holding hands... its almost as nice as a kiss" she flirted. Anthony couldn't blame the blush on the kitchen this time, but shook it off and went to turn the nob on the office door. As he did, Rias grabbed his hand before he could actually turn it. Looking at Rias again, her face was now serious.

"I meant it... if somethings bothering you, please... don't hesitate to talk to me" she said with kindness, looking right into Anthony's eyes. They both found themselves lost in them for a few seconds. Rias even slowly leaned in, and kissed Anthony's cheek gently and quickly. Anthony appreciated the gesture, and he felt his heartbeat jump up, which was most likely due to an attractive girl kissing him. He also couldn't help but crack a small smile. **[If you lovebirds are done now...]** chuckled Ddraig.

Getting back to the matter at hand, Anthony resumed what he was doing before Rias distracted him.

And Rias thought SHE, was a busy person when it came to paperwork. But her desk was neat compared to what she was seeing. Inside the office was a desk piled with bills and corporate letters. The walls had menu plans and graphs, probably for sales. Their was also an old computer that was off on the corner of the desk, looking like an old RadioShack model from the 80's. At the desk itself sat a slim man though much older than Luigi, having a bald spot right on top of his head with only black sideburns for hair; and wrinkles covering his hands and face.

No doubt, this must have been the leader of the establishment... Lezaza himself.

He was on the phone with someone. "Yes... no... Yes, sir. Have a good day" said Lezaza, hanging up with whomever he was speaking too. Once he did, he just happened to look up and see 2 teens standing in his office. Upon seeing one of them was his 'adopted son', he smiled and got up from his seat, walking around the crowded desk to approach his guests. He did so using a cane. "My boy... you should be in school right now, not flexing that yer old man owns a diner to yer girlfriend" said Lezaza with a smile, clearly teasing his foster son.

Before Anthony could defend himself, he noticed that he was STILL holding hands with Rias. Either he forgot to let go due to the reason he was here, or Rias wormed her hand back into his... he might never know. "He's been on 1st base twice... he's so good at it" Rias said shamelessly, making Anthony's mouth drop open. The poor boy never felt so embarrassed in his life... this was the man who was like a second father to him, can't Rias keep her smart mouth shut?!

"Heheh, one can't blame him. Hell, if I were 50 years younger..." Lezaza began to joke, but Anthony crumpled up an expired bill off the wall and threw it at the older male to shut him up... he ducked quick for an old man. "You'll have to forgive him... he can be a jealous type" Lezaza continued, smirking all the while. "So I've seen..." said Rias with a smile. "Keep that old slong in your pants, old man" Anthony said to his foster father.

"At least I have experience with it" said Lezaza. Anthony growled, and Rias just giggled cutely. The relationship between these two was a close one, so much so that the father figure was willing to snuff out the sons flame if given the chance. "But I take it you didn't come on yer day off to show off yer future wife" said Lezaza, still not letting up. Rias actually couldn't help but blush slightly at that. Her? Anthony's wife? Sure it might have been a joke when she first met him...

"Ugh... yeah. I, uh... I need it" said Anthony, his tone turning serious. Rias observed Lezaza's reaction carefully. At first, he still had a silly grin... but then it slowly hardened to concern. "It?... Anthony, I thought you never wanted to..." said Lezaza, but Anthony cut him off. "I know... I said I never wanted to see it again... but... times have changed..." said Anthony. Rias looked back and forth between the two men, trying to figure out what Anthony could be referring too. While their facial expressions told her this was a serious topic, she didn't know what it could be. Eventually, Lezaza turned and walked behind his desk again and towards a large portrait that Rias didn't notice before.

It was a picture of what looked like the front of the restaurant, with Lezaza surrounded by some co-workers. One of them had an arm around Lezaza, it was a younger-looking Luigi. At their feet was a young boy, and it didn't take Rias long to realize that was in fact Anthony... however, instead of smiling like the others... he looked lost... and alone. This must have been taken a while after Anthony found himself in Japan, and met the bossman for the first time.

The date on the bottom-right hand corner was all the proof she needed: _9/2/2004_

What Rias didn't expect was the old man to swing open the portrait like a door, and behind it was a safe that was built-in the wall. Punching in some numbers, the safe opened. Lezaza reached in, pulled something out and closed the door to the safe. He began to hand something to Anthony. It was a small set of keys. "You sure you want this? I'm not sure it's a good..." Lezaza began, wanting to express his concerns about how he didn't like the sound of Anthony's idea, but Anthony just held his hand out and grabbed the keys from the mans grasp. "... I have to... move forward... I can't run anymore... I need... to face it..." said Anthony, and it was clear to Rias he was getting a little choked up.

Lezaza seemed to understand, but also still feel concerned about Anthony for a reason Rias couldn't figure out. Both men hugged each other, it was Anthony silently thanking Lezaza for his cooperation. Rias stared, trying to understand what this was all about. What were those keys too? What were they for? And more importantly... what did they mean to him?


	22. Chapter 22

Ok, so this will be the last short page, then the next one WILL conclude this epilogue. First, a moment of silence for all those effected by Hurricane Dorian, including the Bahamas which was completely obliterated.

1) **Guest**: Thank you very much. I do have some original plans, such as an original power Anthony will obtain. This story will follow the anime mostly, with some twists in the plot, most of which you have seen already. Examples of this include Anthony back-rhyming with the Familiar Master, and the short spar between him and Ajuka a few chapters ago. I can't tell you what else, though it has been foreshadowed in the narrative.

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**Epilogue - Page 5**

Exiting the office and heading back through the kitchen to the dinning hall, Rias kept staring at the Anthony's hand... the one that clenched the keys he had just obtained. He didn't even say anything to any workers that tried talking to him this time, for his eyes were glued forward and focused. The workers however, seemed to understand and decided to just leave him be. Even more so when Rias saw, out of the corner of her eye, one of them pointing to the keys Anthony had. They seemed to know what those keys meant, and it intrigued the red-haired Devil even more. What on earth was so important about them?

Right as Anthony was about to push the door open...

"FOR-A LAST TIME, I'M-A LUIGI!" Roared Luigi, upset about something. Pushing out quickly, Anthony and Rias saw that the rest of the ORC had made themselves at home at a table and awaiting Anthony's and Rias' return. Luigi was apparently going to take an order from them, but for some reason yelled. Rias was about to question why no one was coming, but turned and saw Anthony's expression... this clearly happened allot. "If it's Koneko, you owe me 10 yen" Anthony leaned in, then walked towards the group. "Huh?" Rias asked with a cocked head.

"Alright, alright; qual è il danno?" Asked Anthony, waiting to defuse whatever tension had occurred while he and Rias did business... sadly not the 'fun' kind. "Aie-YAAAAAAH! Your friends start-a coming-a ordering!" Said Luigi. "Uh, yeah chief. This is a restaurant" Anthony joked. "We not even open for-a 'nother hour, they expect me to cook now?!" Complained the man. Anthony gave him a confused look. "... you did for your wife after we closed last week" Anthony said, making Luigi sound hypocritical... it also made Akeno and Asia giggle. As always, Anthony's timing was impeccable.

"I invited them for lunch anyway, just take it off my tab" Anthony continued. "Not after-a kitty cat calls me a plumber! A PLUMBER! Do I look like-a plumber to you?!" Said Luigi, still mad and pointing at the offending party, which was unsurprisingly (to Anthony) Koneko. Luigi specifically pointed to the cat-like hair clips in Koneko's hair, which Anthony found pretty funny. Maybe this is what Ddraig meant during the Rating Game. _**[No... no it wasn't...]**_ the dragon made clear with a groan, also sounding annoyed; but Anthony was trying to calm down the cook and never got a chance to ask about it.

Anthony could also feel Ddraig pinching the bridge between his eyes, but didn't know why.

"She keep-a calling me Mario! MARIO! Here, what does this say?" Luigi raged on, now pointing to his name tag. "It says Luigi" Anthony said with no emotion, not wanting to hear anymore. This actually isn't the first time this happened. Due to how Luigi chooses to dress for work, lots of people (mostly young kids) think his name is Mario for this exact reason. It also didn't help that everytime someone joked (preteens mostly) that _'the princess is in another castle'_, Luigi would get angry because he didn't understand.

Luigi kept going on and on for several minutes, but Anthony managed to talk him down and ask him to take his friends' orders, since the store was gonna open soon anyway. Luigi kindly took their orders... but rudely skipped over Koneko. She would have yanked him down by his apron if Anthony didn't jump him to 'remind' Luigi he forgot someone. "Sorry. No pets allowed!" Said Luigi, very rudely.

Kiba's eyes widened, Asia gasped, Akeno's jaw dropped and Rias just stared. This human had balls, she'll give him that. That's nothing to say of Koneko's reaction, she was beyond pissed. She was about to get up and kick this man where it hurt, when she noticed Anthony get up in the mans face for her. "Listen, old man. Either you quit with the diga attitude, or I'll tell Lezaza who REALLY forgot to clean out the grease last month" Anthony threatened, defending Koneko. You see, the restaurant had to close early and lose a days worth of business last month because a certain person forgot to clean out the waste. It was an accident and Anthony took the blame, but it was actually Luigi's fault.

Luigi was about to respond, but Anthony wasn't done yet. "AND!... If you just wore the uniform like everyone else, people wouldn't call you the wrong name" he continued. He even pulled out his phone, showing a picture of the 'person' Luigi was always confused with.

No one had brought this to his attention before, not even Anthony, mostly cause he (along with everyone and their grandmas') thought it was funny. But when one of his friends was the target of Luigi's rage, THAT'S where the young dragon drew the line. Seeing this, Luigi calmed down a bit, and took Koneko's order. Once the older man left, Anthony rolled his head over to Koneko. "... what?" She asked. "Just... why?..." was all Anthony could really say, he didn't have the mental capacity at the moment for something snappy. Koneko just shrugged her shoulders, took a piece of bread from a basket in the middle of the table, and began to eat it. (**AN**: Pretty sure I don't have to explain how the bread got there, since this is a restaurant the ORC is currently visiting.)

-TIME BREAK-

Lunch was great, especially since the ORC got free food, but Anthony was very off the rest of the school day. Only Rias knew a possible reason why, but didn't bring it up for two reasons: because it was Anthony's business, and because she really didn't know herself. It was mostly an educated guess, but those keys he got from Lezaza must have had something to do with it. Anthony couldn't focus either, he was just staring at the keys he obtained, which made Rias concerned and demanded to know what was bothering him.

"Anthony, you've been down in the dumps all day! What's wrong?" She asked. "Huh?... I'm fine, prez..." Anthony began to lie, but he was cut off immediately. "Bullshit! You've been like this ever since we left the diner" said Rias. Akeno was about to make a joke that maybe Anthony was tired after his and Rias' "business", but decided not to due to the seriousness of Rias' tone. "It's fine, nothing wro- GAAAAAH!" Anthony said calmly, but then felt his hair being pulled.

Rias, who had gotten up from her desk, had stomped over and pulled Anthony's hair. Grabbing Rias' arms, Anthony gotten her to loosen her grip. "THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM?!" Anthony yelled, as he wasn't a big fan of getting his hair pulled like a 5-year-old. "WHAT'S MY PROBLEM?! HOW ABOUT YOU LOOK IN A MIRROR!" Yelled Rias. The ORC members looked back and forth between whom was the one shouting while this all happened, as they knew better than to get involved.

"BE HONEST WITH ME! SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU!"

"I SAID I WAS FINE, OK?!"

"STOP LYING AND TELL ME WHATS WRONG!"

"I CAN'T!"

"LIAR! TELL ME!"

"I CAN'T!"

"YES YOU CAN! LIKE I SAID BACK AT THE RESTAURANT, YOU CAN TALK TO ME!"

"I... CAN'T!"

"WHY NOT?!"

Before Anthony shouted at Rias again... tears rolled down his cheeks. Rias now realized in her concern for Anthony, she made him cry. "I... I can't..." Anthony sobbed, and it was clear to everyone it wasn't that Anthony didn't want to share his feelings... he just physically couldn't. As more tears came out of his eyes, he looked down at his hand that was now squeezing the keys. After a few seconds of looking at them, he hardened his resolve. He was stalling. If he was gonna do this, it's now or never.

Anthony took a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Rias, who looked at it in confusion before looking back at Anthony. "... I can only show you" said the Italian, the emotion on his face telling Rias this was hard for him. She felt a little guilty for yelling at him, but it's only because she cared.

-TIME BREAK-

Somewhere outside, the Gremory magic circle opened up and out popped the ORC. Kiba, Akeno Asia and Koneko looked around; but they didn't recognize their surroundings. Speaking of which, it appeared Rias had brought them to a street with houses on each side, and they could see what looked like a big city in the distance. The house they were standing in front of however, gave off an odd feeling. It was 2 stories high, having a strip for a driveway with 2 garages. It also had a small stoop with, what used to be, a screened-in patio. Looking up, the windows on the second floor were knocked out, though some were replaced nicely. On the side of the property, was a FOR SALE sign... but it had broken and fallen over. This house gave off an uneasy vibe, though it looked like it was cared for at one point.

"Why did ya take is here, president?" Asked Kiba, rightfully confused. "And whose house?" Asked Koneko, being sarcastic. That's when Anthony walked up from behind everyone, approaching the building. It looked like he wanted to cry, but he held it in. The 2 words out of his mouth said it all.

**Anthony**: _(takes a deep breath)_... It's mine.

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**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Qual è il danno: **means "what's the damage"

2) **Diga:** means "damn"


	23. Chapter 23

1)** 54godamora**: I kinda have too conclude it this way, for development and for Anthony to finally move on with his life. That's also an interesting idea, I'll keep it in mind. Credit of course, will be given to you.

2) **Mrgamerandwatcher**: This is the last page of the epilogue, then we can move on to season 2.

3) **Guest #1 **and **#2**: HA! That sounds something the mafia would do.

4) **Guest #3**: Funny you should say that... Anthony will actually use one someday.

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**Epilogue - Page 6**

The ORC stared at the house in shock... THIS was Anthony's house?! Then they must not be in Japan anymore! The only one who looked not as surprised was Rias. She knew Kuoh Town like the back of her wings, the slip of paper Anthony had given her was an address she didn't recognize, but she opened a magic circle and teleported here anyway. Now that they were here, in a sensitive spot not less, she was starting to regret her decision. In her rush to help Anthony, she didn't take into consideration where they were going.

"Don't worry. No one comes down here anyway. Big surprise, no one wants to buy a house where a murder took place... same for the neighbors" Anthony said with a hint of sarcasm. Now that the ORC looked around, they noticed no one popped out of their homes to see what was going on, as it wasn't everyday 6 Teenagers appeared from a bright red circle in the ground. Apparently, this entire neighborhood was deserted. "But... I sense some" said Koneko, at a loss for words for the first time in her life.

Anthony wasn't surprised at this, as she was able to predict that the Fallen Angels knew they were rescuing Asia one time... though he couldn't explain how.

"Nearest neighbor is 5 houses down... like I said, no one wants a slaughterhouse" said Anthony, which shocked the ORC even more. The houses around them were pretty big properties, so the nearest neighbor would be about 3 football fields away. Anthony once mentioned his father was a member of the government, so it wasn't too big of a surprise that he lived in an expensive neighborhood. "So... why are we here exactly?" Asked Akeno. That's when Anthony pulled out the set of keys. Didn't take a genius to figure it what hole they went into, especially since Anthony was walking towards the front door.

"Anthony, I..." Rias said as she held Anthony's shoulder. She was about to speak when Anthony spoke up immediately. "I know what your gonna say, this is a bad idea... and your right, it is" he said, shrugging Rias' hand off and continued to the houses door. "I've never got the chance to say goodbye, and the cops didn't exactly believe me when I told them my side of the story..."

-FLASHBACK-

_A day after the house fire; the media was bombarding New Jersey's Finest left and right with questions about what caused the fire, who started it, were their any other survivors, was it a terrorist attack (since Anthony's father was a member of the government), can they get an interview with the child (disregarding the trauma he must've endured)... standard money-hungry journalist questions. All the police had to say was, it was still under investigation._

_"I know who killed mommy and daddy! Can we please go to the policeman house?" Asked a young Anthony to the nun whom was taking care of him, but she said it wasn't necessary (translation: no). Why? Anthony would say the truth, that an angel killed his parents... what's wrong with that? That's how God wanted the world to be right? Little did young Anthony know, even though the nun's and church community SAID they believed him; what they believed was that the poor boy was suffering from mental trauma, and his mind made up this 'angel' as a coping mechanism._

_A few days later during lunch hour, Anthony didn't join the others for mealtime. Instead, he was tiptoeing towards the exit._

_**Female Voice:** Where are you going?_

_Anthony facefaulted, not expecting anyone to find him. Looking up with fake innocence to fool whatever adult caught him, he was surprised to see it was Asia, the in-training nun that happened to be in the office when Anthony bragged in and told the church about the fire. "Oh, er; hey Asia. Funny seeing you here" Anthony said, trying to avoid her question... thought he mispronounced her name as the worlds largest continent. "It's Asia, and what are you doing out here?" Asked Asia, pronouncing her name correctly. "Just eh... walking on a spiritual path?" Said Anthony, not knowing what else he could say. This was only his second meeting with this girl, he had no idea if she would tattletale or not if he told her the truth._

_Unfortunately, she wasn't buying his story, as evidenced by the look on her face._

_"Your sneaking out, aren't you?" She deduced. "Uh... n-no, n-not at all. Just... need a breath of fresh air" Anthony lied again. He felt bad about it, since this girl, training or not, was still a nun; but he couldn't risk having anyone know where he was going. If an actual nun found out, they'd beat his tongue with a ruler!... at least, that's what his mom said happened when she was his age; but couldn't take the chance because it sounded painful, and he used to think his parents spanking was bad... (**AN**: This is actually true in schools in Italy and America back in the 60's, though I don't know if Italy still does the ruler thing these days.)_

_"It's ok" said Asia, surprising Anthony. "I get how you feel. My parents... left me too..." Asia continued, a small tear welling up in her right eye. This got Anthony thinking, did she go through something similar? "You just need some time alone, right?... just hurry back, before someone notices" said Asia, turning and walking away. Anthony didn't know what got into the girl, but figured this was a good of a chance as any to get going. _

_Anthony got back an hour later. Luckily for him, the police station was only a 15 minute walk. He gave his statement to the Detective in charge of the investigation. The Detective in question raised an eyebrow at Anthony's story, but this went over the young Italian's head. The Detective thanked Anthony for his time, and he felt a giant weight lift off his shoulders upon finally telling someone that would listen. __Of course, Anthony was scared what the nuns would do if they found out, but he would endure whatever punishment they'd throw at him. He did what he needed to do, and no amount of beating him would take that away. _

_Not surprisingly, 3 were waiting for him when he walked in the door, and he was ready to get dragged away..._

_"How was your spirit walk?" Asked a nun... cheerfully? "Uh...?" Anthony had no clue how to respond to that. "We were so worried about you, you didn't show up for lunch" said a second nun. "You needed some time alone. That's understandable. We only wish you told us before running off" said the third nun, which was the same nun that was taking care of Anthony. "... how...?" Anthony was about to explain (and ask what the crazy nuns were taking about), when Asia came out from in-between the other two. The nuns explained that another kid had spotted Asia and Anthony talking, but didn't know what about. When he went missing, they called for Asia and she told them he was out taking a 'spiritual walk', to ask God for help finding his parents killer and to let them rest in piece._

_Anthony only stared in shock and realization, this in-training nun covered for him. More accurately... LIED for him! That was one of the 10 commandments, and she broke it for a kid she didn't even know!_

_It was at this point that Asia and Anthony stated hanging out and growing closer. After only 3 days, they became the closest as anyone could be, which stunned the church community as Asia was extremely shy and has never been known to spend extended periods of time with others... even kids her own age. __On the fourth day, he and Asia were watching some religious cartoons (which Anthony liked, but they seemed too repetitive for his taste) when a Breaking News segment interrupted their program. The police announced that there was nothing to fear from the Messuri's demise, for it was a murder-suicide. _

_Asia just so happened to look at Anthony... and the color visibility drained from his face. "That's... that's not true... it's not true..." he started to say, but then it turned to crying and screaming. His eyes even shined green for a split second, but it passed too quickly to be noticeable. The poor kid couldn't believe what he just heard. They lied. The police, the ones that could put that angel behind bars, lied._

_The staff of course, heard the crying and came in to see Anthony up against Asia, balling his eyes out. The girl only hugged him in return, not knowing what else she could do other than comfort him. The church never knew exactly what set Anthony off, but assumed it was the report that was on the TV._

-END FLASHBACK-

"The landlord kept trying to sell it... kinda hard to do that when it was televised to be a place of murder. It was taken care of for a few years, but eventually the workers stopped caring or didn't get paid enough, and the renovations were abandoned... just like this place" Anthony explained. This explained why the house looked deserted, though somewhat nice.

Still, Anthony was torturing himself by doing this. "You don't..." she began, but Anthony cut her off. "I have to move on, OK?!" Anthony unintentionally yelled at Rias, only because his emotions were running on high. **[I think what she's trying to say is...]** Ddraig started to pick up where Rias left off. "I HAVE... _*takes a breath to calm himself*_... I have to stop running, and face my past... I need closure" Anthony said, walking up the path to his former front door he once called home. He got in front of the door and lifted up the keys; his intention was to unlock the door, step back in time... and put his past behind him.

Bringing the keys up to the lock...

...

...

...

...

His body stopped. He willed it forward, but it wouldn't respond. His hands began shaking, the keys jiggling with it. They were mere inches away from insertion. No matter how much he commanded his muscles to move forward, the refused to budge. Anthony just stared at his trembling hand, a little mad that he was acting like a scared child. Raynare was gone, and she was never coming back... so WHY was he unable to do this? WHY... couldn't he just open the door, take in everything, then be on his merry way and move on with his life? Obviously, it was childhood trauma, but he didn't want to think about it anymore. He wanted to let go of his past and move forward with his future.

If his body had such a bad reaction just to the house itself, maybe this was a bad idea... maybe this was one of those scars that run so deep, they simply can't be dealt with. No matter how hard one tries to hide them, they'll always be present as a constant reminder. Anthony closed his eyes tightly, gripping the keys even harder, and was about to abandon his quest... when sudden warmth was felt upon his hands. It couldn't be blood, he didn't squeeze them that hard...

It was a soft hand, connected to Rias. She was looking with pure understanding. While she didn't exactly lose her parents to a fire, her life was about to be turned upside down by a living embodiment of one until Anthony risked everything... even his own body... to save her. She was gonna give up to said fire, but Anthony doused that flame and fought it head-on. "As I was saying... you don't have to go alone" she said, finishing her sentence from before. Before Anthony could answer that, he felt more warmth upon his hand. This time it was from Asia. "Let us lend you support this time" she said. She never had much support growing up until she met Anthony all those years ago, as she was still struggling with her own parental problems. When she finally met Anthony, it was someone she could REALLY relate too.

Next was Akeno, hugging Anthony from behind. One hand was around his chest, the other was placed on Rias' and Asia's. Her breasts of course, due to their massive size, pressed slightly against Anthony. But for once she made an effort to try and NOT apply pressure, now wasn't the time. This hug was strictly for supporting, not teasing. "Your always doing things yourself. It's hot, but don't be afraid to open up once and a while" said Akeno.

Then Kiba joined, placed a hand on Anthony's shoulder first. "We got your back, Anthony... in and out of battle" said Kiba, placing his remaining hand on Anthony's. While the Knight didn't know the Pawn that well yet, he could tell despite his big mouth, Anthony was a good guy. He overheard from a conversation between Akeno and Rias that had said that if required, he give up his other arm, even the rest of his body if it came to that. Of course, Akeno then teased Rias about it by saying she found her Knight [or in this case, Pawn] in shining armor, but that was expected from the senior. This proved to Kiba that Anthony was someone you could depend on, one that would give 110% if 100% wasn't enough.

Lastly, Anthony felt small fingers cup the underside of his fist that held the keys. Much to his surprise, it was Koneko. "Now quit whining like a little bitch, and open that door" Koneko said. To be quite honest, she couldn't stand the thought of Anthony struggling, though she had no idea why. Maybe she felt bad for him? Possibly. She heard about how Anthony almost lost it when she Retired from the Rating Game, and how he amazingly took out the reminder of Riser's team save the man and his sister themselves. He basically tried to avenge them, and he finally did during the 1v1 at the "Wedding".

Regardless, all the petite girl knew was that she felt a pang in her chest upon seeing Anthony freeze up just now. Can't be love, cause who'd be dumb enough to fall in love with an Italian Perv, right? Especially one that had an even bigger perv living in his arm.

Anthony didn't know what to say. For the longest time, he carried this burden of Raynare never getting justice for what she had done to him so long ago. No one ever believed him, no matter how many times he insisted. While he never brought up his past to Lezaza, he gave him the keys to his home thinking with them away from his person, he could maybe just forget about the past and carry on... everyone else seemed to have done that when the police broadcast his parents' murder as nothing but a suicide. He felt water in his eyes, but he held back the tears. He just stared at the people around him, asking himself if this truly was happening.

Finally, making his presence known, the back of Anthony's hand glowed green. **[Your not alone anymore, Anthony... you have a new family]** said Ddraig, using the very same words as Anthony did upon landing the almost-finishing blow against Riser. It was now when the tears began falling, the human not able to hold them inside his eyes any longer. He closed them to try and stop them, but that only more flow down like a never-ending creek. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he opens his eyes back up. They weren't scared anymore, but showed absolute determination. With his friends... no... with his FAMILY at his side, he was really.

"... ok... I'm ready..." he said, trying to move his hand again. You'd think the extra weight of multiple hands would stop him, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Now his muscles were responding, apparently feeling the same way as their owner. Together, the conjoined ball of hands went towards the lock, ready to insert. Anthony glanced at each person.

Ddraig...

Kiba...

Akeno...

Koneko...

Asia...

And Rias... they were all here for him, ready to face his past with him, to lend their strength and help Anthony conquer his inner demons. He mouthed a 'thank you' before continuing. The ORC inserted the key slowly. It fit. Only one thing left to do...

...

...

...

...

...

_*Click*_

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I know I said this would be the final page but upon writing it, my walls started leaking. I'm just an unlucky guy, aren't I? First mold, now bad plumbing? I just can't catch a break. Plus in my rush to fix the problem, the other half of this page wasn't saved. Don't worry, I know exactly where to go from here but since this fic hasn't been updated in almost a month in a half, I felt bad leaving you hanging. I'll see you guys in the REAL final page, Ta-Ta!


	24. Chapter 24

This is it everyone, the end of the Epilogue is here; meaning the first season of Anthony's journey is about over. The only thing left from him to do, is to let go and move forward. So let's answer some reviews, and then close the cover on this chapter.

1) **Guest**: 3 people with this title had left long reviews, but my instincts tell me that they are the same person due to the wording used in all of them. So let's break it down...

A1) Asia in the fanbase: As I said once before, since she is/was a nun, it's a trigger to some people. Becoming one made her indirectly sign an agreement to be married to the church. Therefore, she is not allowed to have feelings for others or... "engage" with them, if you catch my drift. The hate was actually one of the reasons I gave Asia a different backstory, since it clashes with both her feelings for Anthony AND her religious upbringing. I feel this one gives her more of a reason to act the way she does, and I'm sure even some Asia-haters [if any are reading] could agree on this.

A2) Upon doing some more research on this topic, many think she's a cock-blocker or cock-redirecter (is that one even an actual phrase?) due to her personality. The same with Xenovia, Irina and Koneko; and I understand why. With Koneko, she is still a kid basically... though in her defense, she is a minor along with Issei, so it's not against any law; Japanese or American. Xenovia and Irina are also church members. People are cool with Irina (most likely since she knew Issei during their childhood), but not Xenovia since she had admitted to Issei that she wanted the life of serving God... upon learning the truth about Him in this universe however, she changed her mind. I've said this before, High School DXD mixes itself with religion, so its expected some people would get defensive.

B) Asia's/Anthony's future in my story: That's a good point you brought up. As of right now, I can't tell you, but all I can say is it will be different than what the books did (and which the anime might do since the creators have stated they will follow manga material more closely). Still haven't read them, but I have heard that Issei proposed to Rias and each girl individually. Anthony will have a harem in a different way.

C) Original Arcs: I do have one planned, with a surprise character. The one you suggested about Koneko and Anthony looking for fruit is ok, but I already have planned on how Anthony is gonna find out Koneko is a Nekomata. It has been foreshadowed indirectly. Perhaps I might write something similar to this with another character for him to bond with.

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**Epilogue - Page 7**

Together, the ORC opened the door. As soon as it opened, a wave of hot air washed over them... which was expected since the air conditioning hadn't run in lord knows how long. After a few seconds, Anthony took one step into the house. The group could tell by his face and the slow step he took that his emotions were running high, and rightfully so. This WAS the house that he grew up in, and where his life changed forever. Once he stepped in, he stopped, taking in all that was around him. The ORC joined him inside after he had been motionless for a minute, and they were able to see why.

In front of them was a sunken-in living room that looked half-renovated (like the rest of the house might look). Some of the paint of the walls didn't match the coloring, which was probably because like Anthony said before, this place was abandoned and the work never got finished. More proof to that was the fact that some furniture was still in this living room. A wall unit that looked like it could hold a large TV was in the far corner, and the floor was nothing but half-wood and half-foundation (ya know, the cement below the ACTUAL floor you step on). There was a couch, thought covered in plastic to keep the dust off. And behind that was a small room that you can get to with a step, but it gave no indication of what it used to be for... though maybe it was like a movie theater? Possibly, they'll have to ask Anthony later. Finally to their left, was a set of stairs that went to the second floor of the house, and to the right was a pathway to the next room.

Sure it wasn't a Gremory Castle, but it was still impressive to see where Anthony had come from. Even Asia felt this way, as she's never actually seen the home, only heard bits and pieces about it from her conversations with Anthony and/or Irina during their childhood. "Welcome to my humble abode" said Anthony, trying to lighten the mood for himself and his friends, but the flatness in his tone made it hard. This was clearly tough for the poor human to deal with, but he claimed he needed this to finally get a sense of closure, so the ORC would stand behind him and lend him their strength.

"You guys can explore if you want, I just... need a second..." Anthony said, a single tear sliding down his face. Only Rias was in the right spot to notice this... the poor guy. She felt so useless in this situation, unable to offer anything of value for her dear Pawn. She was born a Devil, and was protected by many armed guards and magic her whole life. What did Anthony have?... Nothing. Nothing but 4 walls and a roof... then a Fallen One came to burn it all down.

Anthony eventually gathered the mental and physical strength to move along with the "house tour." The ORC had silently agreed that they wouldn't go ANYWHERE in this establishment without Anthony first. Taking the pathway to the next room, there was a door on the right side. All that was in there was a sink, so it was pretty obvious what that room used to be. There was another door next to it, but it was closed. Turning to the left, the ORC was met with a big surprise... then again, they should have expected it knowing Anthony as well as they do.

It was a VERY large kitchen, complete with 3 large sinks on the left with a long window to look outside, and a granite table that had a rectangle in the center of the room. Getting a closer look, it was a 3-stove oven, each having a hanging light system over it that also had a vent on its underside, most likely to let out a bunch of steam if necessary. Further down was a long room, which HAD to be where the dinner table was located. There were windows all the way down there too, this way people wouldn't feel like they were boxed in. At the very end however, was a fireplace, but the ORC couldn't figure out why.

Again, they'll have to ask Anthony to fill in some of the blanks.

Anthony began walking down this long room, with the ORC following behind him. Once they got past the sinks, there was a long sliding-glass door that they couldn't have seen before. It lead outside to a large pool in the shape of an infinity sign... though it looked greener than the grass... ew. It's at this point the ORC saw something else. The backyard was HUGE! It wasn't enclosed by gates, and a bit further out was a hill with a white flag on it and a pathway... was that a golf cart that just went by?

"You lived on a golf course?" Asked Rias, impressed. She had learned in her time in the human world that living was in places like these was VERY expensive. That also must have meant this might have also been a gated community, which made the price that much higher! Again... not a Gremory Castle; but to think Anthony lived such a luxurious life and not be a stuck-up, spoiled rich kid was surprising. The only reason she was made aware of this type of behavior was because there was a video sharing website that Anthony mentioned one time. Humans created it very recently, and had uploaded "spoiled kid" compilations constantly.

She couldn't recall its name, but its tagline was 'Broadcast Yourself' or something...

"Why? You geloso?" Anthony said with a smirk. Rias couldn't help but give a small smile back, the Anthony she knew was starting to slip out of the cracks. Of course, not wanting to be outdone, she fired right back. "Jealous? Me?... Please, I live in a castle" said Rias. "Ooooooooh. Yona has a castle; so does my uncle Damian" said Anthony, waving his hands while walking away, of course having the last word. Rias had to hold in her laugh. Anthony was coming around again... maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

-TIME BREAK-

The ORC walked back downstairs, having completed the house tour with upstairs... though you couldn't exactly call it that. It was mostly a large space with some doors leading to rooms, 4 in total. One of these doors lead to a bathroom, another was empty though Anthony clarified it was a guest bedroom, and finally the master bedroom. What's that? The 4th door, you ask? Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeell... Anthony froze when he got to this particular door, then announced that was the end of the tour.

Obviously, that room was a soft spot; but this was Anthony's home, so the ORC wasn't gonna force him to show things he doesn't want to show... or READY to show. As they all took the final step off the stairs, Anthony felt a hand on his shoulder. Craning his neck, it was shown to be Akeno. "Can I talk you for a minute?" She asked and much to Anthony's surprise, there wasn't an undertone of flirtation like their usually was. She seemed to simply want to talk with him. "Uh, sure" said Anthony, not wanting to turn down a friend in need.

"Just hang out in here, guys. I'll be right down" said Anthony, walking back upstairs with Akeno following him. Asia's cheeks puffed up, which was expected. Koneko didn't care about that, and walked over to the wall unit in the corner of the room, her curiosity got the better of her,

Rias however... she stared at Akeno's backside with narrowed eyes. What was she up too? "President? You ok?" Asked Kiba, seeing Rias' expression. "... huh? Oh, I'm fine" said Rias, which Kiba believed... even though it was FAR from the truth. The second Akeno began to follow Anthony, Rias felt something she never felt before. Her heart began to race slightly as her best friend followed her favorite Pawn. But for the love of her... she couldn't figure out why. _'What's wrong with me? Akeno's just going upstairs with Anthony and...'_ upon saying this to herself, she felt her heart rate quicken and her blood boil. _'Why is this... upsetting me?'_ Rias asked herself but again, she couldn't find an answer.

On the second floor, Anthony and Akeno stopped in the center of the wide room. "Sorry there's nowhere to sit... but don't worry, the walls are soundproof" Anthony said, tossing in a joke to light Akeno's mood. She seemed to be a little nervous. Upon hearing Anthony's quip however, she giggled as she always did. It didn't matter what time or place, Anthony always found a way to make her laugh and/or smile. "Oh, good. We don't want Rias getting upset, do we?" Akeno said, joining in. "Nope. We do not. So what's up? What'cha wanna talk about?" Asked Anthony, getting back to the main reason why he and Akeno were up here.

Akeno started blushing, which was a first for Anthony to see. It was adorable, but also unexpected. "Well... I, uh... need help with something" said Akeno. "O-K, with what?" Asked Anthony. "Uh... you know..." said Akeno, still blushing. "Uh, no. I don't" said Anthony, jokingly. "You know... with... uh..." Akeno said, trying to get the words out, but they kept getting caught in her throat. "With a project? With a recipe? Come on, ya gotta give me more to work with here" said Anthony. "It's... it's a... girl thing" Akeno finally said.

..

...

...

"Uh... I don't think, I'm the best person for that" said Anthony, rubbing his neck after recovering from his confusion. A girl thing? In his experience, girls go through ALLOT of things... most of which have to do with their anatomy, so he wasn't the best person for advice in that department. All he could say was to:_ pack plenty of missiles in your purse_... assuming that's what she was talking about. Wouldn't Rias or any other girl be the better person to ask about that, not a human that didn't know if Devil girls go through the same stuff since they can barely conceive?

"No. You are. You stood up to Riser Phenex... and defeated him, which no one has done before. He's only lost a Rating Game twice, which was only out of respect for families his was close with. But you... you got up, time and time again. Devil or not, that's something that no one had the strength to do when faced with his power. You even crashed the party to save Rias, the definition of manliness" Akeno said, while short flashbacks played of the times Anthony fought Riser. When they first met in the club room; then, despite the Burst effect from the Boosted Gear, Anthony refused to go down; and finally when he went one-on-one with the so-called Immortal Bird, he weakened him by using the same weakness that all Devil's share.

Anthony couldn't think of a response to that, though he was thankful for the praise. "I have to ask... would you... help me too?" Asked Akeno, her blush deepening. "Duh! Of course! If anything's bothering you Akeno, you can come to me" Anthony offered, which Akeno appreciated. "Thank you, Anthony. That means allot to me" she smiled, feeling some weight lift from her chest. Thinking this might take a while so he might as well make the senior Devil comfortable (or at least, as comfortable as possible); Anthony put up an index finger, telling Akeno to wait a second, and went into a room... the room that he stopped in front of before. Akeno questioned this, but Anthony then came out carrying a small ottoman, though he had to turn himself to get out of the room with it.

Anthony put it down in the middle of the room, and invited Akeno to sit by holding his hand out, which she accepted. They sat next to each other, quite close together as a matter of fact, since this piece of furniture was small. "So what's bothering ya? Let Poppy Anthony know" Anthony said. "I'm... There's this... but I don't think... me" said Akeno, attempting to say what was on her mind; but for the love of her, she STILL couldn't get the words out! She muttered half of her statement. "Listen, Akeno. Poppy Anthony might be cool, but he's also stupid. He's not gonna be able to help ya unless you tell him whats bothering you" said 'Poppy Anthony'.

"You know, it's... it's a-... it's a bo-..."Akeno started again, desperately trying to convey her message. "It's a bowl of spaghetti? It's a brochure? It's a...?" Asked Anthony, both jokingly and seriously. "I'm having trouble, ok!" Akeno blurted out, then clashed her hand over her mouth with her face getting even redder. "Heh, trouble? What possible trouble could y-...?" Anthony went to ask, but then it clicked. There WAS a reason she chose a boy to speak to and not Rias. The reason she asked Anthony... a boy... was, "Are you... having... boy trouble?" Asked Anthony, more than surprised if this was true. Akeno didn't seem like the type to worry over boys, just tease and flirt playfully with them.

The only response Anthony got was a nod of her head, the deepest shade of red her face could possibly get.

...

...

...

Anthony burst out laughing. Akeno didn't know whether to feel offended or join in with him. "You? Boy trouble? Come on, just look at you! If I'm the definition of manliness, your the definition of assordante!" Said Anthony, the pun was entirely intended. Akeno felt flattered at that remark. "Oh. T-Thank you. I'm just not sure if he'll find me attractive" said Akeno, to which Anthony gave her an_ are you serious_ look. He got up from the seat, and went behind Akeno. She froze up, not knowing what was about to happen, as she was usually the one doing stuff like this and not being on the receiving end. "Again, look at YOU! Long silky hair," said Anthony, running her long ponytail with his hands. As soon as he made contact with her, she felt a wave of peace wash over her. _'Is this... how Rias felt?'_ She couldn't help but ask herself.

"All natural figure, sparkling eyes? Akeno! You. Are. Amazing! Right Ddraig?" Anthony told her, then brought Ddraig into the conversation as he sat back down. He also gestured to those areas this time, not touching her in those locations. Sure they were friends and playfully teased back-and-forth like he and Rias did, but he wasn't the type of guy to swoop in and attack. **[Exactly. She could be Miss America if she wanted too]** the dragon agreed. While Akeno had no idea what Miss America was supposed to mean, she felt exalted nonetheless.

Anthony then grabbed her hands, gently holding them. Akeno drew blanks, having no idea how to respond when something like this happened. "Rias is red hot, Asia is always glowing, Koneko can be cute when she's not bitchy... but you? Your... ELECTRIFYING!" Said Anthony, making several puns that were also intentional. "All I'm saying is; whomever this guy is... he's a lucky bastard" Anthony finished, smiling at Akeno. The Senior was mesmerized, no one had ever... ok, that was a lie. Many of her 'admirers' had said similar things to her as she would walk the halls of Kuoh Academy... even a few teachers, creepily enough. But with Anthony... it sounded more genuine, more passionate; not just a comment from a nameless nobody. He spoke those words not just to make her feel better, but make her more confident.

This reminded her of when Asia told the story of his first, thought chronologically second, time using his Boosted Gear. Before this Scott person attacked them, Anthony had said similar words to Asia to make her feel happy. Akeno felt all fuzzy inside. It was a welcome feeling ever since... _it_ happened, but what exactly was this feeling? Was it just a simple crush, or could it be... something else?

Akeno just scooted into Anthony, giving him a tight hug. **_[Holy marshmallow heaven...]_ **said Ddraig, as the hug from Akeno added some simulation in a certain area. Anthony would have called Ddraig a name, but was also distracted by Akeno's sudden display of affection. Not knowing what else he could really do, he just returned the hug. Just like with Rias in the office that one time, Akeno sank into the hug. She never felt this way before, and it was a welcoming feeling. In doing this however, she didn't take into consideration that they were currently sitting on a chair with no support for the back.

**Anthony **and **Akeno**: WAAAAH!

SMOOSH!

Both high schoolers crashed on the floor, with Akeno right on top of Anthony. **_[DAIRY PILLOW JACKPOT!]_** Ddraig said, excitedly. _'KNOCK IT OFF, MUSHU!'_ Anthony thought back. "H-hey, you ok?"Anthony asked, chuckling lightly while repressing his hormones. What can he say? He was a guy with a girl on top of him. "Oh. I'm fine" said Akeno, lifting herself up... but that's when her face was inches away from Anthony's. Akeno never saw him up this close before, but she liked what she was seeing... and feeling. Her hands were currently on top of his chest, allowing her to feel his torso. It wasn't overly muscular, but muscular enough to catch her attention; she could also feel his heartbeat, pressing up against her palms. Anthony was also cute from a distance, but looking into his brown eyes this closely was something different altogether. Neither teen knew how long they stayed like this.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The sudden scream snapped them both out of it. Akeno immediately got up, allowing Anthony to do the same. Anthony ran downstairs in a blur, his basic instincts taking over to try and help whoever was in danger. Akeno, after getting her bearings and emotions together, followed the Italian as he rushed out.

...

...

...

"IT'S ADORABLE!"

Akeno came down to see Anthony, who had taken out his Boosted Gear, stare at the 3 remaining ORC members. His jaw was wide open, not expecting what he was seeing. His friends were on the floor (the completed half), looking through what looked like a photo album. He recognized it, as it had a picture of elephant on it, which was his mothers' favorite animal. She kept it inside the wall unit where the large TV used to be, that only meant one thing...

The girls...

Were looking...

At his BABY PICTURES!

"Wow, he's naked" said Akeno, who had joined the girls. She did this mostly cause she could tell from Anthony's face this bothered him, this made teasing him that much easier. "The naked truth, he was smaller than me" said Koneko, giving Anthony an evil smirk. Apparently, she was the was the one who found the album. Both sets of eyes made contact, with Anthony silently messaging her: _"I hate you"_ through his sockets. Kokeno just went back to looking at Anthony's naked days with the girls.

"Raynare... please kill me again" Anthony grumbled to himself, his hands clasped together as if praying.

"It's a tiny, itty-bitty Anthony! It's too much!" Said Rias with a slight giggle in her voice, never once imagining she'd get to she her Pawn's baby pictures. Sure Anthony was a good-looking guy, but he was such an adorable wittle baby. Ddraig wasn't kidding when he said Anthony was small. "I agree. Itty-bitty and cute" said Asia. Anthony started pulling his hair sideways. Out of ALLLLLLL the things that could have survived the blazing inferno... THAT was it?! REALLY?! HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT HAPPEN?!

Anthony felt for sure that his mother had arisen from the dead to troll him, or at least God was as "punishment" for hanging out with Devils.

"OHHHHH, KAAAAAAAAAY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Said Anthony, dashing in the middle of the circle and grabbing the album, putting back in the unit where it rightfully belonged. In his rush however, he didn't notice that one of the slots was missing a picture. **[It's not like they're laughing AT you]** said Ddraig with a chuckle. "Yeah. They were laughing at my ass hanging out in the kitchen" said Anthony. **[Well, you were too small for the batht-...]** Ddraig began. "SHUT UP!" Anthony yelled, cutting the dragon off. He didn't want anymore of his tiny lifestyle revealed... it was embarrassing. Just then, he realized someone was missing. "Hey... where's Kiba?"

At the other end of the house in front of the fireplace in the back, is where Kiba stood. He was looking at an empty plaque over the fireplace that looked like it used to hold something. Looking down at his hand, was a picture of a young Anthony with some kid with chestnut-colored hair. Both were holding a pair of Gameboy Colors, unaware they're picture was getting taken. This wasn't what Kiba was interested in. In this picture, Anthony and the friend were sitting in front of the fireplace, and on the very same plaque was a cool-looking sword. It seemed familiar somehow...

"Yo, Kiba! Where'd ya go, man?" Called Anthony's voice. Eyes widening, Kiba stuffed the picture in his pocket. Good thing too, because Anthony appeared a second later. "There ya are. Why ya back here?" Asked Anthony. "Oh... just admiring the scenery. This seemed like a great place" said Kiba. "It was... this room was always pretty cool, me and Irina would play with our Gameboys back here after a holiday meal or something" said Anthony, not seeing Kiba twitch. This confirmed what the picture showed him.

"Come on, the girls are waiting for us" said Anthony, turning around to walk away; but Kiba put a hand on his shoulder, causing the humanoid dragon to stop and crane his neck in Kiba's direction. "Actually... I was curious about this. You have any idea what it was?" Asked the Knight, pointing to the empty plaque. "Oh, that? My dad had a hobby of collecting antiques with ancient history. Used to be a sword there, he claimed it was Excalibur... or at least, a piece of it. He also had this long spear hanging in his room, saying it was used to stab Jesus Christ thousands of years ago" Anthony said.

"Really?" Asked Kiba, looking back up at the empty plaque. So it was true... _it_ was here. "Yeah... he sold it to Irina's dad, and the spear was gifted to a close friend of our family... but really? A lengendary sword that magically spilt into smaller swords? Crazy stuff, right?" Joked Anthony. As he said this, he felt a wave of dread wash over Ddraig and by extension, pain in their shared arm._ 'Nrgh... Ddraig, you ok?'_ Asked Anthony. _**[... uh... y-yeah. I-I'm fine]**_ said Ddraig, though Anthony could feel nervousness in the dragons voice. But why?

"Don't touch anything else please! Anthony might get mad!"

"What's the itty-bitty Italian Dragon gonna do? Cry me a river?"

Asia and Koneko, in that order. What was going on now? _*GASP!*_ More baby pictures? HELL NO! Anthony ran back down to the other end of the house, leaving Kiba alone. With Anthony gone, he pulled out the picture he was looking at before, staring intently at the sword above the young Anthony and his childhood friend. "Yeah... crazy stuff..." said Kiba, putting the picture back in his pocket and walked out of the room, but not before giving the empty plaque one last glance... this time full of anger.

-TIME BREAK-

Back by the front door, there was a wooden shelf that had nails inside of it. A single key was hanging on one of the many nails, and the ORC girls were curious about it. Koneko stood on her tip-toes to acquire it. "Don't touch anything else please! Anthony might get mad!" Said Asia, warning Koneko they shouldn't really be touching anything without Anthony's permission. While she like seeing Anthony's cute baby pictures, he looked upset upon finding them going through them. "What's the itty-bitty Italian Dragon gonna do? Cry me a river?" Asked Koneko in typical Koneko-fashion.

**[BOOST!]**

Directly behind her, stood Anthony with Ddraig's arm out again, outstretched and open. Looking slowly up at him, she saw him give her an evil smile himself. "Nope. He'll give you a shot" Anthony said. While Koneko was a tough girl, even she was wary of receiving a Dragon Shot at point-blank range... she heard Riser's Bomb Queen suffered a cruel fate. Anthony simply reached over Koneko's shoulder and took the key from her grasp, she gave no resistance. As much as she hated to admit it... Anthony got her... this time anyway.

"And what is it with you and going through my shit like a cat after a ball of yarn?" Anthony joked, which made Koneko avert her gaze, looking upset. The group didn't know why... well, everyone except Rias. "... was I something I said?" Asked Anthony, feeling a little bad he made Koneko upset. As much as the kid annoyed him, that didn't mean he didn't feel guilty about making her sad. She was still a friend.** [My last master was a horny moron, and made me one too... ****but your just a complete idiot who can't read context clues]** said Ddraig. "What's that supposed to mean, Pete?" Snapped Anthony.** [After these last few weeks, you STILL haven't figured it out?] **Questioned the dragon. "Figured out what?" Asked Anthony, trying to understand what Ddraig was saying. **[... My point exactly...]** sighed Ddraig. "What point?... Come on, dude; not the silent treatment again!" Complained Anthony, since his pet dragon went silent.

"Whatever... the thing hasn't run in years anyway" said Anthony, dropping the subject and hanging the key back on the nail. "What hasn't?" Asked Akeno, curious. "The car. What else?" Said Anthony, surprising everyone. He had a car? And he never used... actually, never mind; the ORC answered that question themselves. He wasn't the legal age when he ran away from here, so it's not like he could have used it to drive to his church after the inferno. "You have a car?" Asked Koneko. "You never told me that" said Asia. "You never asked" said Anthony, spinning the hoop of the key around his finger. "Mind sharing?" Asked Rias, a bit interested in what kind of car Anthony drove.

The Italian smiled in response, walking over the to door next to the small room that had the sink, and opened the door. This room went straight down and had a few tubes sticking out of the wall on a side, it obviously used to be a laundry room. Next to the tubes was another door, which Anthony also opened. On the other side was the inside of the double-door garage. A shelf of tools littered the right side, also having a work bench next to it. Dead center of this garage, was the type of vehicle Anthony apparently used to drive...

It was a white golf cart, which the ORC thought this had to be some kind of joke on Anthony's part. However, this wasn't your normal golf cart. It was fully customized, rivaling the ones you'd find at a Home Depot. For starters; it was a triple seater, having enough room for each of them; tiny doors that opened just like a normal car (or at least a Fisher-Price electric one); and rear-view mirrors on the sides (gotta be safe), including one hanging on inside of the cart itself. It kinda looked like a Jurassic Park Jeep, just without the T-Rex skull or the striped paint job.

Oh... and a license plate with "Italian Stallion" on the front... to no ones surprise.

Of course, due to being cooped up in a closed garage for half Anthony's life, caused it to become very dusty and dirty. And since there was no electricity, Anthony had to open one of the garage doors by hand. Those things looked heavy, but he lifted them up without difficulty, though it was noisy. Climbing in for a second, he made a noise from inside and then came back out to push to cart into his driveway. Obviously, he must have put it in neutral. Once he was out, he held his hand straight out at the cart, a magic circle on his hand on it... what was he doing?

SPLASH!

...

...

...

He soaked himself from above by accident, he was dripping wet, and his face was hilarious. He looked so annoyed that it was adorable. Rias, Akeno, Asia began giggling... heck, even Koneko did! Kiba just smiled at the scene, also finding it funny. "... Do ya mind?" Anthony asked dryly, not looking in the ORC's direction. Getting over her case of giggles; Akeno expertly soaked the entire cart, and wind-dried it through the use of magic. Sadly, there was no form of magic that had soap, but at least it was clean enough to sit on.

"You said you owned a car, liar" said Koneko, also recovering from her giggle fever. "Still runs on benzina..." Anthony shrugged. Koneko wasn't in the mood to make a comeback for that.

-TIME BREAK-

After getting the cart filled with electricity courtesy of the Thunder Priestess (as this model ran on both gas and/or battery), the ORC took a ride in Anthony's golf cart. Anthony was driving and Rias was next to him, Asia was next to Koneko and behind the Anthony and Rias, and Kiba and Akeno sat in that last row. Speaking of the golf cart, it moved allot faster than they expected; though it was unclear if it just had a good engine, or if it was due to Akeno's electrifying prowess used to recharge it since it was MIA for so long. Regardless though, Anthony had taken the ORC up and down the gold course which unlike his house, was taken care off. The lakes were clear, the animals were friendly, the bridges they had to take had a few sharp turns... which Anthony took told advantage off the scare the ORC, as it felt like the cart would roll over and into the water.

Rias hugged him for safety this way, which he enjoyed and made fun of her for; to which she called him an asshole or the like, who didn't know how to drive. Each time she did, Anthony would brake hard, making the golf cart quickly stop and the group would rock forward due to the G-Force. There were even a felt long hills that seemed roller coaster-like, giving Anthony the brilliant idea to floor it and make the cart bounce up and down as it climbed like _The Little Engine That Could_ on Weed... then it would speed up like a supercharged _Herbie_ due to gravity.

But hey, they all laughed and had smiles on their faces... though Koneko tried to repress those emotions, they cracked through her normally stoic face. Anthony looked like he was having the time of his life, and it was VERY noticeable. They've seen Anthony smile before, but something about the one he gave now seemed... brighter, in a way.

They went all around the golf course, and ended back in Anthony's backyard. Anthony stopped the cart, and just took a breath. "Anthony, what's wrong?" Asked Rias, getting concerned. "Nothing... I just... haven't feel so free in a while now, ya know?" Said Anthony. The ORC understood his feelings on the matter, this place was the home of a VERY painful memory. "... Thanks guys... for everything..." he continued, turning to face the rest of his passengers. After doing that, he drove back around the house and back in front of the garage. The Devils knew this might the ride was over, and got out along with Anthony. Once again lifting the garage door open, he hopped back into the cart and drove it inside.

As Anthony pulled his "car" into the garage, he noticed a box in a corner that had the top of a brown ushanka sticking out of it. "Shit, it's still here?" He asked out loud after taking the key out of the golf cart and putting in inside his pocket, figuring he'll put away later. Curious as too what he was doing, the ORC just watched him. Opening the box flaps, "Son of a bitch" Anthony said, pulling out a shotgun with a cork in the barrel. At first, the ORC got a little nervous, but say the cork was connected by a string still attached the the gun... it was a toy. He putted out the hat next, and out fell a few plastic bunny-ear headbands from inside. "I remember this. Me and Irina used to play Tune Tag with these" said Anthony.

"Tune Tag?" Asked Rias with a raised eyebrow, unfamiliar with the term. Anthony just smiled.

-TIME BREAK-

Rias was red with embarrassment. She felt ridiculous because Anthony forced her to wear one of the pairs of rabbit ears. The ORC was in Anthony's backyard again, with him wearing the ushanka and carrying the toy gun on his shoulder using a sling. After all the shit she put him through, it was his turn. He demonstrated a game he and Irina used to play whenever his favorite cartoon wasn't on, or he needed to feel better after a stressful day of elementary school. He told Rias to hop away and when she turned her back, he fired the toy shotgun... he actually cut the string this time around, so the cork hit Rias square in the back, causing the redhead to yelp.

Asia innocently thought it looked fun and wanted to play too. While Kiba, Akeno and Koneko wanted to sit this one out; Anthony said it would make him feel better if they played with him. It was tough to know if he was serious, or just using this to toy with the group's emotions. So dawning the rest of the bunny ears (which Koneko hated, though Akeno thought was cute), Anthony turned to count to 10 as the "bunnies" hopped away into hiding. Once he was done, he slowly walked like a certain hunter from a certain show, and looked at the camera. "Shhhhhhh... be wery, wery quiet... I'm hunting Wevils... Dahahahahaha!"

FLOOSH!

"YIKE!"

Anthony felt a burning sensation on his bottom. Looking behind him, Rias was peaking out from behind a tree with a small Destruction Spell in her hand. "Your it" said Rias with a smile. "No. I'm already it! You can't tag whose already it!" Said Anthony, then a bolt of lightning shot past him, barely missing his right ear. It was from Akeno, smiling and giggling while poking out from behind a different tree. "Look, I don't know what underworld rabbits do, but EARTH RABBITS don't shot lighting or blow fire!" Said Anthony, then he heard the sound of roots uprooting.

Koneko was holding an entire tree above her with both hands. "All bark, no bite" she said, tossing the tree towards Anthony. His pupils dilated in shock, the giant footage missing him narrowly due to his quick reflexes. This was probably payback for forcing her to wear bunny ears, or threatening her with a Dragon Shot... likely a bit of both. Looking at his toy gun, he dropped it in the grass. "Aw, elica questo" he said, summoning Ddraig's arm with a **[BOOST]**. The game now turned into a playful frenzy, with Anthony firing small non-lethal blasts at his friends instead of using the toy gun. The ORC was giggling and laughing as this went on, turning this game of Tune Tag into a supernatural version of Laser Tag.

Unknown to them however, someone was watching them from atop of Anthony's roof... it was Lezaza, balancing himself with his cane. How did he get up there? He looked down at Anthony, and saw how happy he looked. After all these years, he was able to move on thanks to that redheaded Devil. Suddenly, he dropped the cane, being able to stand on his own without any issue. A magic circle started below his feet, and slowly worked its way up, causing a startling transformation. His old, slim figure became taller, more refined and young; with the wrinkles on his body disappearing entirely, he looked like he had gotten 60 years younger. He also grew a black goatee, and his hair magically grew back on top of his head, with a patch of yellow hair enough to cover his forehead. His suit he was wearing had also changed to a dark red V-neck long-coat.

With his disguise now shed... he smiled down at Anthony.

-TIME BREAK-

The sun was now starting to set, and the ORC was ready to leave. They were waiting for Anthony to come out though. "What's taking him so long?" Asked Koneko. "Give him some time, he probably needs to get his bearings" said Asia, giving Anthony the benefit of the doubt. It's not that everyone was annoyed with Anthony, but they DID have school tomorrow. What would be their excuse? Sorry we didn't come to class, we went halfway across the world to an abandoned house to help a friend move on with his life?... Yeah, that'll fly with the teachers well; as much as telling them the dog ate their homework.

"I'll go check on him" offered Rias, walking back into the house. She looked in the sunken room, the kitchen, the fireplace in the back and the garage; but he wasn't there. That left upstairs... where did that ottoman come from? Disregarding that, Rias was about to look in the rooms Anthony showed before, but something told her he wasn't in any of them. Instead, she felt herself being drawn to the one Anthony DIDN'T show. The door was a crack open, which was weird as it was closed before. Putting her hand on the knob and pulling it...

...

...

...

It was a kids room, like for ages 5-10. There were shelves with books that you'd read to your child before they fall asleep on you; a game system connected to a TV, both of which were gathering bunnies and not the kind Rias cosplayed as earlier; toy boxes filled with colorful (and dusty) playthings; Mickey Mouse wallpaper that had the rodent playing various sports... anything you could think this room had, it did. This was obviously why Anthony avoided this particular room, it clashed his good memories with his bad ones. Speaking of whom, he was outside the room itself due to a balcony that overlooked the golf course. Plus due to the setting sun, it was a beautiful sight to see.

Her Pawn was leaning against the bars of the balcony, apparently taking one final look at his childhood home before deciding to move on. Rias walked out of the open sliding-glass door to Anthony. "Anthony?... You ok?" She asked, becoming concerned again. "Yeah, I'm fine... just taking one last look" said Anthony, not turning to face Rias, but she could tell in his voice that he was ok. He finally did turn his neck to face her. "Come on, I wont bite... too hard" he said. Rias took this opportunity to look out beside him, it was a breathtaking view.

"Ri?" Asked Anthony. "Yes Anthony?" Asked Rias. "I wanna say... thank you... for coming here with me" Anthony said. "You don't have to thank me. You came here by yourself to put this all behind..." said Rias, but she was cut off. "No... your wrong" said Anthony, looking at Rias with an intense amount of emotion in his eyes. "If it wasn't for you... I don't think I could've left Lezaza's office with those keys. You gave me the strength I needed to finally move my scared ass... you, Asia, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko... you all gave me support when I needed it most, even though I tried pushing you away and do it myself" he continued.

**[What about me?!]** Asked Ddraig, in a playfully upset tone. "Heheh... yeah, you too, Ddraig" chuckled Anthony, then spoke to Rias: "Looks like I owe you again, huh?"

Rias stared at him. She didn't realize she had a big part in him finally coming around. "Y-You don't owe me anything, Anthony..." Rias tried to explain, but Anthony wouldn't have any of it and cut her off again by gently grabbing her hand. She blushed at this, not knowing why he was doing it. "I do... Rias, I..." Anthony said, then kneeled down on one knee. Rias raised an eyebrow, what was he doing? "This might sound strange, but I... I feel like we have a connection, ya know?" Said Anthony, making Rias even more confused. "You saved my life without knowing me, then I saved you from laying eggs for the rest of your life despite only knowing you for... its like, what? Almost a month now?" Said Anthony with a slight chuckle.

Rias was really puzzled now. What was Anthony... wait. He just mentioned her marriage to Riser... now he's on one knee... no way, no freaking way! He's not asking to...?

At this point, Anthony placed his other hand on top of the one he was holding from her, sandwiching her soft hand in between his own. "In that time... I felt, happy. Something I haven't felt in a VERY long time. And as we kept hanging out, I felt... this feeling... get stronger..." said Anthony. Rias was getting red in the face. This had to be a joke, right? There was no way Anthony was asking her... _that_, was he? "I mean, you feel it too, right? Teasing me by sleeping naked, be it at night or randomly when no ones around? It almost... feels like tension" said Anthony, continuing to ramble. Rias could not believe her ears. This had to be a strange dream... yeah, that was it. She was already home in Japan, in bed with Anthony naked, Asia and her probably had a fight, and she was probably knocked out and was just having hormonal thoughts... yeah, that's EXACTLY the reason! RIGHT?!

Anthony gave her hand a gentle squeeze, informing her this was NOT a dream. "I never felt this way before... it feels great. Though some people will send us death threats, at least we'll be happy, right?" Asked Anthony, his eyes glazing over. It was true! Anthony... was asking her... to marry him! This was all so sudden, she didn't know what to think. Sure she liked Anthony, but could she really say yes to him... hell, could she even say no?! He's done so much for her in these last few weeks, and did so by giving up a piece of himself to a LITERAL... God-slaying DRAGON! "Rias Gremory... I, Anthony Messuri, have to ask you... will you..." said Anthony, his voice cracking with passion. Rias just stared down at him with shock, her heart beating faster than it normally does... this was it, it seemed. He was actually asking her. She awaited the magic words Anthony was about to say...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Tell me your favorite color?"

**Rias:** ...

**Anthony:** ...

**Rias:** ...

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Roared Rias, not caring if the entire neighborhood heard her. Anthony quickly got up to avoid a slap to his face, but Rias started swinging. Anthony just ducked away and leaned back against the balcony, a huge silly smirk plastered on his face. Rias then started beating his chest with her fists in blind anger at Anthony's stupid joke... or was it because she fell for it? Regardless, Anthony still laughed as Rias beat his chest. "You should've seen the look on your face!" Laughed Anthony. Rias just keep hammering Anthony's chest while calling him names like "Baka" and "Jāku", up until Anthony wrapped his arms around her; making her stop.

"All jokes aside... thank you, Rias... from the bottom of my heart" Anthony said, genuinely this time. Pulling back, they stared at each other's eyes. "Honestly, I couldn't have done this without you..." Anthony said. Both teens were silent as they locked orbs with each other. Subconsciously, their faces edged closer... "ANTHONY! RIAS!" Came the voice of Akeno, making the teens stop and snap out of it. "YOU CAN DO THE NASTY BACK HOME! LET'S GO!" Was the voice of a cranky Koneko, wanting to get back home. They both called out pretty loudly, and the sun in the distance was barely in sight anymore... "Geez. We better get going, before short stuff pops a gasket" Anthony joked. "Uh... y-yes... of course" said Rias.

The Pawn and his King left the building, with Anthony locking it back up... the past along with it. Stepping into the Gremory magic circle, the ORC headed back to Japan... closing the cover on this emotional chapter.

**End of Season 1**

* * *

Phew. Finally... the epilogue is done. Wasn't that wholesome? Now Anthony can finally move on with Rias and his new family. You also can't deny its all original. Sure I borrowed the 'baby picture incident' from season two, but I twisted it around while also adding an extra layer... or in this case, an extra weapon. And how many DXD fanfics have the main cast riding in a golf cart, or playing a game of tag based on a slapstick cartoon? Plus, the ending with Anthony supposedly asking for Rias' hand in marriage was comedy gold, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise.

While most of this seems ridiculous (and that was the point), I think I executed it pretty well.

Season Two is now officially on its way, though I can't tell you exactly when it will be released. It could be next week, or maybe the next 2 weeks; there's no exact time frame. I'm putting together all my ideas to try and make them flow with the story, as well as what new words/phrases to teach you and poke fun at my nationality along the way. Thanks for all the support each and every one of you have shown. Looking forward to your reviews and until next time, I'll see you in the sequel... pace fuori!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1)** Pace Fuori**: means "peace out"

2) **Assordante**: means "stunning"

3) **Benzina**: means "gas" or "gasoline"

4) **Elica Questo**: means "screw this"


	25. Chapter 25

So here we finally are, the beginning of Season 2. It's a short prologue, but I think you'll get a few laughs from it. Enjoy Anthony's newest adventure, but first; I have an announcement to make. Allot of people have asked if there's a better way to contact with me other than PMs or Reviews. So I created my own discord account, which I will post on my profile later for other readers. This way I can connect with you a little better. Its Boruto#9558.

Hope to hear from ya about this chapter; be it on discord, PM or review. As for shout-outs:

1) **54godamora:** Aw, sorry to hear that. Hopefully by the time this goes up, you already feel better. My favorite chapters... hmm, that's a tough question. I don't think I can chose only one, as each one was written with love and dedication. I do have some favorite moments I can share:

A) Chapter 1 - The part when Anthony fantasied about visiting a doctor to receive help from his injuries, and when Rias meet Anthony and he went in frantic denial at what he was seeing. Also when Rias was 'interested' at what Anthony was working with, and his response to that was: _Stop Peaking!_

B) Chapter 2 - Anthony besting Rias at chess, and she got so pissed off.

C) Chapter 3 - Anthony's comment about Visers powers: _This's why I was raised on formula!_

D) Chapter 6 - Anthony's official fight with Raynare.

E) Chapter 7 - The training session (specifically Anthony's _'God was cruel to men'_ line), Pesca's reaction to Anthony living with 2 girls; as well as some girls asking Asia about Anthony's "size" and in typical Asia fashion, she didn't understand the question.

F) Chapter 8 - Many readers loved this chapter, since it was the Familiar Forest. I loved every second of it, but if I had to pick just one moment, it'd be Anthony back-talking to the Familiar Master with rhymes.

G) Chapter 10 - Riser's debut, which if I'm not mistaken, was one of your favs as well. The chicken dance scene was what did it for me.

H) Chapter 15 - Anthony's reaction to Dress Break, and him arguing with Ddraig about it; along with Anthony telling Riser to _suck his dick_ in Italian.

I) Epilogue 1 - The situation involving Ddraig's arm still out, and Anthony watching the Perverted Duo get beat up with a bowl of popcorn.

J) Epilogue 7 - The ORC helping Anthony, the golf carting, and the game of tag they played. Best part, it was all original.

* * *

**Season 2 - Prologue:**

Rias stirred in her sleep, then her eyes fluttered open. She was in Anthony's bed because... well, as usual; she waltzed in and crawled into bed with him.

-FLASHBACK-

_Anthony was asleep, or at least going to sleep. He got in a pair of boxers and a plain white T-shirt before opening his bed sheets and getting under the covers. Not even 2 minutes later, his door began to creak open. "... Rias?... What's up? Princess had a bad dream?" Anthony asked and unlike most times, he wasn't joking around, he sounded genuinely concerned for Rias... until she started undressing. "PREZ! WHAT THE HELL!" Yelped Anthony, hoping that outburst didn't wake up Asia (thankfully it didn't). It was cute to Rias, seeing Anthony cover his face as she basically striped in front of him._

-END FLASHBACK-

Of course, Anthony didn't deny her. Once she entered his bed, all bets were off. Ddraig even [joyfully] said to hop in, there's always room from one more; which Anthony groaned at... but still didn't ask Rias to leave. He just allowed her to stay the night. Rias knew he wouldn't have said no anyway, who'd in their right mind would reject ALL of this? She was attractive, both friends knew that; but at the same time, Rias also knew that wasn't main reason either. Anthony was not the type of person to just leave someone if they needed something, proof of that was he carried her all the way to his house after their game of chess, refusing to left her in that old building. Not to mention saving her from Riser...

That's odd. Why did her heart beat increase just now? She ignored it, thinking maybe she got up too fast for something. Speaking of which, the reason she awoke from her slumber was because she actually heard some noises. Looking at the clock, it was 5:06AM... and where was Anthony? "That was amazing" said the voice of Asia, sounding cheerful. "You up for another go?" Asked the voice of Anthony.

Amazing? Another go? What the FUCK... was THAT... supposed to MEAN?! Anthony and Asia weren't...? Rias immediately got up. She slipped her undies back on, then went into one of Anthony's drawers and put on one of his white Tees, not caring that she wasn't wearing her bra or the fact it wasn't her clothing. Getting out of Anthony's door and going down the hall, she opened to door to Asia's room...

...

...

...

Asia was standing up in a referee getup; and Anthony was on the floor, still in his boxers and T-shirt, in the position when you start doing push-ups. "Oh, hey Ri. You awake?" Asked Anthony. Rias didn't know what to say... heck, she didn't know what came over her! "...What are, you doing?" She finally asked, after 5 seconds of just blinking in total silence. "Um... well, ever since we got back from Anthony's old house last week, he asked me to train with him" said Asia. "... really?" Asked Rias, still unsure what to make of this. "Yup" said Anthony, still in his push-up position. "OK... why?" Asked the Gremory Devil, wanting more information.

"Because..." Began Anthony, getting up from his push-ups. "I was thinking... about what Ajuka said" admitted Anthony. "And?" Asked Rias, wondering what was going through Anthony's head. It must've been hard to hear he was the reason he couldn't be the best he could be. "Well... the reason I can't promote to a queen... is because my bodies too weak, right?" Anthony asked, though Rias and Asia could tell by his tone it was hard for him to admit that. Rias only nodded in response. "Then I'm gonna change that! If my bodies too weak, I'll make it stronger! I'm gonna work hard, get more experience, and maybe someday... I can finally be your Queen, Rias" said Anthony.

That comment got both girls' minds wandering when he said 'your queen', they couldn't help it. The wording was daydream fuel. "... You don't, have to Anthony. Your already very strong" said Rias, and she meant every word of it. Anthony had shown great resilience ever since she met him, and truly believed Anthony was her best piece... behind Akeno of course, but still her best and _favorite_ piece. "But not strong enough! I can only hold Ddraig's power for so long before, his words not mine, the armor devours my life force... What if I'm up against someone like Riser again, what if I don't get a second chance next time?... I can't take that risk!... Not again" said Anthony, getting emotional.

Anthony then grabbed Rias' shoulders, preventing the girl from moving... and she could see the sternness in his eyes. "I owe you, Rias. I have to be stronger for you... stronger than Riser... stronger than any Pawn before me! I have to become a Queen, Rias! It'll be great too! I'll have long hair, a curvy body, huge tits and everything!" Anthony said, letting go of Rias and doing the following:

1) Stroking his hair.

2) Running his hands down his sides.

3) Squeezing where his nipples were, and attempting to press them together... which didn't work, but he still tried.

While Asia was feeling jealous towards Anthony touching Rias, it changed to giggles upon him doing the above antics. Rias did the same. "I think you'll have some trouble with the last part" Rias joked. "Oh yeah? Watch me! I'll have a pair so big, Akeno would be BEGGING me to trade with her's!" Proclaimed the Italian. Rias full on laughed now. "I'd like to see that... so that's all, then? That's all you've been up too?" Asked Rias. "Yeah... what'cha think we were doing?" Asked Anthony, genuinely curious.

Rias had to shake her head vigorously to shake off the blush she had forming from that last question, she thought they were doing... something else. Actually, why did she care? It's not like she was jealous or anything... right? **[... And isn't that one of Anthony's shirts?]** Asked Ddraig, confused as to why Rias was wearing one of his hosts clothing. This of course, caused Asia and Anthony to take in the sight of Rias and sure enough, she WAS indeed wearing one of his tees. "... NO!" Rias said defensively, hugging herself and turning her body to the side, not sure what else she could say.

...

...

...

**Anthony:** OOOOOOOKAAAAAAAAAY... So who wants some breakfast?


	26. Chapter 26

1:45 in the morning, but here we are... at the REAL beginning of Season 2. Your gonna love it, I assure you. Its somewhat similar to canon, but packed with plenty of originality, especially when we get to the 'rumor' scene. Enjoy the show, and welcome to **The Italian Dragon Emperor - Season NEW**! We currently have 73 favs and 78 follows, so I first want to thank you so much for all the support. I've said it before, but I honestly didn't think I'd EVER get this far with this, so thank you all once again.

I do have one question though. I wrote a lemon for Ben10/Rosario, NOT the practice one mind you. It just hasn't been posted at the time of writing this. Would you guys like to see lemons here as well, or stay strictly with the Ecchi stuff... or is this called Hentai? Sorry... I'm not a full-blown anime fan, so the vocabulary might be incorrect. If you guys DO want some lemons, they WILL NOT and CAN NOT happen until after Season 4 for story progression purposes. I already have planned what I'm doing up until Season 4, so I'm all ears on some ideas after that.

Only a single shout-out though... Dai, guys! I know we can do better than that!

1) **54godamora**: Glad your cold's finally going away, albeit slowly.

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 1: Things Change**

It was storming one night in Kuoh Town. At the abandoned church where Anthony fought and killed Raynare, 2 people with white-hooded robes walked inside. The door looked like it was kicked in, which they had no idea why, but didn't question it as this just made their job easier. One of the people began to remove the hood of its robe, and it was shown to be a girl with short blue hair (though one bang of hair was green) and green eyes. She also had Italian features similar to everyones friendly neighborhood Red Dragon.

"Utter ruins... to think a human like us could do such a thing, destroying a church" said the blue haired girl, a bit of anger in her voice. "According to rumors, the Fallen Angel housed here had kidnapped a nun. Whoever did it was only trying to save her" said the other robed person, also taking off her hood. She was also a girl, with familiar chestnut hair, which was stylized with long pigtails. "That's no excuse to lay waste to the house of the Lord. He should have at least said a prayer, but no. He went to school the next day like nothing happened" said the bluenette in a stern tone, obviously very passionate about the house of God.

"Cut him some slack, Xenovia. I'm sure he didn't mean it. Besides, rumors also say he holds the power of the Legendary Red One; power like that would make anyone go crazy" said the chestnut-haired girl, giving whoever did this the benefit of the doubt. Don't get her wrong, she was also passionate about serving God, but her partner Xenovia took things a little too far. Still, the chestnut-haired girl understood Xenovia was doing it to protect the people of the church and from the evil Devils. In fact, chestnut-hair here actually had a similar reason for joining. After... _he_... was falsely accused, she promised herself she'd never allow anyone else to go through that ever again... she also couldn't help but wonder where he was in the world.

Last she heard, he ran away from his new orphanage and never returned... she prayed he was ok every night; wherever he was.

"Yes... the Red One... By the way, are you sure this is the right town, Irina? I don't want a repeat of last time" Asked the blue-haired girl, whose name was Xenovia. "Give me a little credit. I moved here when I was little when... when..." said Irina, the chestnut-haired girl, in a cheeky voice; though she began to trail off upon thinking about a certain childhood friend. "When your friend moved?" Asked/Finished Xenovia. She had heard from Irina herself the story about her past, how she used to get bullied all the time until one boy stood up for her. Unfortunately, Xenovia never once heard Irina say his name; and whenever Irina tried, she'd be on the verge of breaking down crying... they must have been extremely close.

The boy sounded like a great guy, and Xenovia would be honored to meet him someday, but knew that'd never happen. He ran away at such a young age, and no-one knew where he went. He was most likely dead, but Xenovia would never say that to Irina's face... it'd break her heart.

"Yeah..." Irina said, repressing the memory before she cried about it. "In any case, with the Red One allied with the Devils, we should keep our distance. Human or not, that Anthony person is our enemy" said Xenovia, warning Irina about the Red Dragon. In response, Irina gasped with a shocked look on her face. "What's wrong?" Asked Xenovia. "Uh... n-nothing. Just... it's a scary thought, ya know?" Irina fibbed. When they were debriefed before coming here, Irina was actually daydreaming and wasn't paying full attention, which is why the name 'Anthony' surprised her.

Xenovia knew this, but covered for her chestnut-haired cohort. With that being said, even though the higher-ups bought it, she herself wasn't stupid. She could tell something bothered Irina just now, but couldn't figure out what it was. "I'm gonna check the perimeter, wait here" she said, deciding to forget about Irina's outburst. Besides, it wasn't really her business.

Once Xenovia left Irina alone, she pulled out an old photograph from her robe pocket. It was a picture when she was a kid, sitting by a fireplace and playing with her GameBoy... with a young Anthony in the picture. It was basically a carbon copy of the one Kiba had during the epilogue._ 'Anthony... can it really be...'_ thought Irina, staring down at the picture. She then shook her head back and forth. _'Get ahold of yourself, Irina! There's no way! Even if it WAS him, which it isn't; he'd NEVER join a band of low-life Devils!... HE'D NEVER!'_ Irina continued to think to herself, as the rain outside continued to keep pounding down.

-TIME BREAK-

We get a close-up of Anthony, who was sleeping in his bed, comfortably and without a care in the world. Zooming out a little, their was a pair of breasts next to him, but he was too deep in La-La-Land to notice. That changed when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his head, and pulled him face-first into the fleshy pillows.

After a few seconds of not getting enough air into his lungs, Anthony woke up in a panic, pushing himself away and gasping for breath. "_*inhale, exhale; inhale, exhale; inhale*_ What the fu...? MMPPPH!" Said Anthony, getting pulled back into marshmallow heaven by a still-sleeping Rias... when did she get here again? This wasn't new to Anthony, as Rias had a habit of hugging him while she slept... though this was the first time he was pulled into the abyss. **_[Now's our chance! Motor-booby those sweet saucers!]_** Said Ddraig, in pervert-mode. "Mo fanks, Falkor" said Anthony, his voice muffled for... reasons.

Speaking however, caused Rias to moan in her sleep, which was titillating for both boys. It also made Rias pull Anthony even closer. While Anthony wasn't trapped in Rias' crevice anymore, his face was now flat against her bosom. The poor boy felt like steam would start coming out of his ears if his face got any redder. He was also desperately trying not to give into his (or Ddraig's) hormonal desires. Still; it was extremely soft and warm, he'd be lying if he said he didn't like it.

Having no choice, Anthony just laid there, not daring to move. Eventually, Rias began to stir and her eyes began to flutter. "Hmmm?... Oh; good morning, Anthony" said Rias, giving Anthony a good morning smile. She of course, noticed how close her chest was against the humanoid dragon but in typical Rias fashion, she made no moves to back off. "Yeah... you can say that" said Anthony, looking at Rias' eyes... making SURE to look ONLY there.

Rias then gave one of her soft yet cute yawns. "What time is it?" She asked. Seeing as Anthony couldn't exactly move, he turned his head towards his alarm clock. It read 4:54AM, his morning training wasn't for another few minutes. "Almost 5. We'd better ge..." Anthony said, about to get out of bed. The moment he tried however, Rias tightened her grip. "And who said you could go?" She teased, taking it a step further by intertwining her legs with his own. The feeling of her legs against his was hard for Anthony to ignore, the body heat from the two seemingly intense. "The Future Queen did, and he'd like to get the day moving along" said Anthony, trying to move again; but that only caused Rias to lock her arms in place, unwilling to let go.

Anthony thought how much they've been through, it was almost like a manga story or something. It's been 1 month since he got involved with the ORC, and what a journey it was. Especially learning that Devils weren't necessarily evil... unless you count _one_ in particular, who can't sleep unless she's completely naked. He had a room prepared for her and while she did use it from time-to-time, Anthony had woken up to Rias in bed with him on more than one occasion.

Not like he minded, of course.

"But you make the best pillow ever, plus it gets kinda lonely in the guest bedroom" Rias said, her tone changing into something suggestive. "So you just let yourself in and use me as a teddy bear?" Anthony joked. "Heheh, guilty as charged. You were already sleeping when I came in, and you looked so lonely, I thought I'd join you" giggled Rias. Anthony breathed out of his nose with a smile and a quick shake of his head. Typical Rias. "Speaking of lonely, Asia might be all alone waiting in her room, so..." Anthony said, trying to get out of bed again, but Rias once again held Anthony back like a crab holding its prey in a vice grip.

"But I don't wanna get up! I love cuddling with my Italian Teddy!" Rias whined, imitating a child's voice. "He's so soft and firm..." she continued, running a hand down Anthony's chest. Even though he wore a T-shirt, it still had the desired effect. Ya know when you think of the person you have a crush on and a chill goes down your spine?... Times that by 100, and that's how Anthony feels at the moment. He had to grit his teeth to avoid gasping from the sudden touch.

"Sorry, but this Teddy wants some BREAKFAST!" Said Anthony, recovering for his initial shock and now attempting to roll over and disentangle himself that way. While he DID get out of her grasp, she was now lying on top of him as a result. "Oh... THIS is what your hungry for?" Rias said, the wording more suggestive than usual. That's of course, when Anthony felt their groins touching. He'd better think of something to get out of this situation quick, otherwise he'd be pinching a tent large enough for the 2 of them.

"Let's just stay in bed. Keep close to one another" said Rias, looking down at the boy below her with her mesmerizing blue eyes. "Uh... we have to get ready for school" stuttered Anthony, thinking quickly. The excuse didn't work however. "I'll have Sona write us a pass, this way we'll have the day ALL to ourselves" the redhead countered._ 'Of course you will'_ thought Anthony. "Which reminds me... you never answered my question. You like breasts, don't you?" Asked Rias, catching Anthony off guard by both the question itself, and her pressing her body against his.

**[Of course we do! Don't we, Anthony?]** Ddraig invaded the conversation. It's not that Anthony didn't like breasts of a girl; in fact, the very items fascinated him. Unlike Ddraig and his two perverted friends however, he internalized it. To Anthony, boobs were a mysterious force indeed. They made guys go crazy, provided food for children, was the embodiment of EVERY 12-year-olds fantasies... so on and so forth. But it was more than that to Anthony, how did a girl walk with those things? How did they not slow their host down when running and flying? Did they hurt if they slam against each other like when a guys package did the same thing? So many questions about them always flooded Anthony's brain. It also didn't help that grown men and teens he worked with would point out a nice rack when they saw one, including when he was first taken in by Lezaza... the old bastard himself also did.

So, was Anthony a Breast-Man?... Verdict: He's a guy.

As for the question, he remembered it, but had assumed it was just her pushing his buttons. He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt something warm press against his forehead and glanced upwards to see Rias resting her forehead against his own, with a sexy smile on her lips. "We have some time to find out... could something sexy help?" Asked Rias. Anthony had no response ready for that one. "Uhhhhhh... t-that d-depends. H-how sexy are we talking about?" Anthony asked, dumbly. Getting close to Anthony's left ear; Rias oozed out, "VERY sexy." Then planted a kiss on his left cheek when finished, making sure to make it as slow of a kiss as possible. Anthony's head made the sound of a train, and steam literally came out of his ears.

Rias giggled to herself. When they were around other people, Anthony had a whole arsenal of comebacks and jokes ready for whatever punch Rias threw at him. But when they were alone, he tended to get bashful easier. The redhead found it adorable.

Anthony recovered well enough, as this wasn't the first time Rias had kissed him, but he kept asking himself what Rias meant by... well, he wasn't stupid. He DID know what Rias was implying, but there was no way she was actually serious, right? She literally just got out of an engagement to the worlds biggest doccia canoa, so her clinging onto the next available guy would make he look like a gold-digger to the rest of the Underworld; which Anthony would fight anyone who called her such a thing and defend her honor. But on the [very slim] chance it WAS what she felt, Anthony didn't think this was the right time. It's only been a week since Riser was dealt with, that was way too small of a window to move on in his opinion... then again, this was RIAS he was talking about; Misses _'stand up so you can have a better view'_.

Still, could she really have those kinds of feelings for him?... NAH! This was just payback from the "marry me" prank he did back at his old house.

After what felt like an eternity, Rias pulled her head back so that she was staring down at him again, her smile growing even more sultry than before. She adjusted herself, letting out a tiny gasp when she felt Anthony's 'loss of control' pressing against her. She shocked herself, as she didn't intend this to go that far... although... she couldn't say she didn't like what she felt either. "Oh... well good morning to him too..." said Rias, taking advantage of this opportunity.

"Uh, yeah... don't worry about that. It's a weird condition" Anthony explained himself, feeling extremely embarrassed at this development. "Condition? Well, as King; it's my job to take care of my Queen. I'll do _anything_" said Rias, going back to her sultry tone. **[Wait... anything?! Anything at all?!]** Asked Ddraig, starting to fantasize about what Rias had said. "Cram it, Toothless" said Anthony, not wanting this to go any further. Again, Rias just got over Riser, so taking this step didn't sound like something Rias really needed... assuming it's what she really _wanted_.

Rias could see in Anthony's face he was having similar thoughts as she and Ddraig were. She honestly wouldn't mind, as it's not like she'll get pregnant due to her Devil anatomy. She kinda wished Anthony would go further, but he restrained himself constantly. It showed he was a good guy, but she wouldn't care if he showed his more assertive side like he does in battle. "Anthony... you don't have to hold back with me" she said, and that got Anthony's jaw to fall open. "Uh, Ri... what are you saying?" He squeaked, thinking he must be still dreaming. With a sly smile and locking eyes with him, she answered with: "That I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

Before Anthony could say a single syllable in response...

_*Knock, knock, knock*_ "Anthony?... are you awake yet?... It's time for your morning training."

Divine Intervention? You could call it that. That voice had come from outside Anthony's room, and it was Asia. "Oh shoot, I completely forgot about the training" said Rias, Asia's intervention causing her to abandon her mission and start holding herself up by her arms. "Sure ya did..." muttered Anthony. Now that Rias was off of him, he sat up and looked at his clock. It was now 5:03AM... time flies when your getting turned on by a hot girl who loves teasing you, doesn't it?

"Yeah, I'm up. Just give me a minute" Anthony called out to Asia, letting her know he was indeed awake. "Sorry Asia, we're both still in bed and need to get ready" said Rias, for once not trying to cause trouble. However, the moment she finished speaking, Anthony made an "eep" sound...

SLAM!... CRACK!

And Asia slammed the door open, her arm trembling as she held it in place. In fact, the force was strong enough to swing a picture on an opposite wall and knock it off, crashing on the floor. Asia's eyes were wide once she opened it, but got even wider when she saw Rias, naked as usual, next to Anthony. "Uuuuuuuh... hey, Asia. Top in the morning to ya" Anthony said, his eyes closed and raised his hand to wave her good morning to the ex-nun, with a nervous smile. "Did you sleep well? I slept like a baby last night" asked Rias with a smile and again, still not trying to cause an issue. "Zitto" Anthony nervously laughed.

Asia's lip began to quiver. Not good...

"This is totally not what it looks like, ok? Just calm down, take a deep breath..." assured Anthony slowly, trying to defuse the bomb known as Asia Argento. "I DON'T CARE, I'M TAKING MY CLOTHES OFF TOO!" Asia said quickly; putting her hands on the bottom of her nightie, and pulling it up and off her body. She then ran towards Anthony's bed to join them... she wasn't wearing a bra either. "GAAAAAAAAAA-!" Was all Anthony could do.

Outside Anthony's apartment, Pesca was waking out of her's. As she locked her door, she heard sounds and voices coming from the room across from her... Anthony's. She couldn't make out most of what was said, as most of it was mindless babbling and/or in the Italian language, but she did clearly hear the following:

1) "I'M NOT BEING LEFT OUT, ANYMORE!" (Asia)

2) "I REVIVED HIM, SO I OWN HIM!" (Rias)

3) Anthony scream: "WILL YOU TWO BUTTALO VIA!"

Pesca just stood there for a few seconds, still processing what was possibly happening behind that door. "... Just walk away, Pesca... just walk away..." she muttered to herself, deciding to ignore it and NOT get involved. She continued to repeat 'walk away' as she walked down the hall, got out of the building, got into her car, starting the car, and driving off to work.

-TIME BREAK-

Six days had passed since the bedroom incident. Life went relatively normal again, but there was a change in Rias' persona. She seemed to be... how should we say... more clingy. A new student named Tiffany Joseph transferred to this school, and the boy population was already swarming to slide into her DM's and/or get her number. She was an attractive girl, with also a similar body type to Rias. According to the "Breast Calculator" Motohama, her front was a few centimeters smaller than the red-headed Great Lady... though if he never would've said anything, no-one would've been able to tell the difference.

Here's exactly what happened:

_First day..._

Anthony was walking down the halls after arriving with Rias and Asia, holding hands much to the dismay of the student body. Unlike his first day at this school, he was used to it by now. No one dared to make a move however, as Anthony had proven on multiple instances that he's more than capable of defending himself.

Rias left to head to her own class, while Anthony and Asia did the same. Asia clung to him the whole way but out of nowhere, they all fell to the ground due to an unknown force ramming them. Bags, papers and books flew as a result. **_[Déjà vu]_** stated Ddraig. _'You can say that'_ thought Anthony. As he and Asia rubbed their heads... "Ugh. I'm so sorry. I keep getting lost and have no idea where I'm going" said a voice neither Anthony nor Asia recognized. Looking up, they saw a girl their age with dirty-blond hair with brown eyes and a face full of freckles. Not that Anthony was looking, but she also had a decent sized pair of breasts. If he didn't see her face, he would've assumed this was Rias.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to girls throwing themselves at me. OW!" Anthony joked, earning him a pinch and skin twist on his arm from Asia. "Nice interpretation of a cat, can you do a dog too?" The dirty-blond girl joked. In her short time here, she had heard her fair share of rumors about Anthony. From being a smart-ass, to a gentle soul, all the way to a non-pervert like most of the male population. She even heard that he was living with not one, but TWO girls! Normally she'd find that fishy, but he seemed to be a decent guy at first glance.

"No. It's to ruff-ruff on my voice" said Anthony, making the girl giggle. It wasn't because it was funny, but because she didn't expect it. As she was laughing, Anthony had already gotten up and started picked up the spread items. Asia joined him after and after a pause to see what Anthony was doing, the dirty-blond girl helped as well. "Thanks. But you didn't have to do that" said the blond girl. "I know, but I wanted to. What's your name again?" Asked Anthony. The girl felt touched, he was a nice guy after all. "... Tiffany... Tiffany Joseph" she said.

_Second and Third days..._

Anthony saw a bit more of Tiffany, mostly cause she kept getting lost. Anthony couldn't blame her, as the school was a big property. He offered to help her find her classes and while she denied him with a blush, he still went through with it.

During lunch; she saw him by himself at a table, and decided to join him... much to the dismay of guys (who were after Tiffany) and girls (who were after Anthony). She walked over to him from behind... damn, whatever he had smelled good! Peaking over his shoulder, Tiffany saw Anthony had a bowl of spaghetti, complete with meatballs. "This seat taken?" She asked. Anthony turned his head to face her, and she had to hold in a burst of laughter. His mouth was stuffed with pasta, with around 12 to 16 strings of it sticking out; his cheeks also puffed up as a result. The boy looked ridiculous, like a chipmunk storing some nuts.

He slurped them up easily enough, then chewed and swallowed. It was adorable to see, though he seemed to make a show out of the slurping. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he smiled up at the dirty-blond. "Just don't toucha my spaghett" Anthony answered, pointing at her with his fork. Again, Tiffany held in her laughter. She had to admit, this kid could make a great stand-up comedian. She sat across from him; making boys and girls alike growl and clench their teeth and fists.

_Fourth Day..._

Tiffany had given Anthony her number, and both had been texting back and forth. She really enjoyed Anthony's personality, and had lunch with him at school everyday so far. She was talking with Anthony as usual when...

FLOOP!

A random pair of breasts popped out from the sides of Anthony's face. On top of his head rested a redhead with blue eyes; causing Anthony to bite his lip in annoyance, which surprised Tiffany a bit; though not by much. Even if she didn't get to know Anthony, his reaction alone proved he wasn't as hormonal as the other students. Plus, she already knew that Anthony shared his home with Asia and another girl, though she couldn't recall her name at the moment.

"What do you want, Rias?" Groaned the Italian. "Oh, just passing through... whose your friend?" Asked Rias. "Rias, meet Tiffany. Tiffany, meet Gelso Gremory" Anthony introduced, earning a flick on his left ear. "Me? Jealous? I'm just looking out for my _favorite_ Italian" cooed Rias, denying the accusation. Tiffany had no idea what gelso meant, as she didn't speak Italian, but Rias' wording gave her the idea... and did this girl have ANY shame? She was practically enveloping the boy with her giant tits!

_Fifth, Sixth and Present Day..._

Anthony and Tiffany walked down the halls together sometimes, as they had some classes next to each other. Every time they did, that strange redhead would show up... was she one of those crazy ex-girlfriends that still keep in contact with their former boyfriends or something? She seemed like it, as each time she appeared, she'd flirt with Anthony (which he claimed was a normal occurrence anyway)... but it got progressively more serious.

First, she glomped him from behind; then the next day, she hugged him from the front (she came from out of nowhere that time); and finally, she even went as far as to hang off one of his arms... the ENTIRE way to his class! To make matters worse, she seemed to get further into his personal space the more he resisted her advances, making sure to put pressure on him using her melons to squeeze certain locations on/of his body. Tiffany's mouth hung open at that, how could Anthony possibly keep a [relatively] straight face from all that? The force was strong in him, it seemed.

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony was sitting at his desk in homeroom the next day, reading his cookbook again. Class didn't start for another hour, so he might as well get some ideas for dinner tonight (**AN: **A stereotype rarely used is the fact that Italians plan ALL day for certain meals). He was also thinking about how Rias was acting around him with that new girl, Tiffany. He'd half-expected Asia to act like that, minus the breast enveloping, but it seemed out of Rias' character all the same... plus, now she BARELY used the guest bedroom anymore, opting to sleep with him by sneaking into his room at night.

Again, he wasn't complaining, he was just confused. This 'payback for the marriage prank' seemed to drag on WAY too long... or maybe, that wasn't it? Huh... but what else could it possibly be...?

WHACK!

Anthony's famous cookbook was knocked out of his hands by Matsuda, who had turned around in his seat to face Anthony. He also had an arm leaning on Anthony's desk "HEY! CAZZO TUO PROBLEMA?" Anthony yelled in response. "We got a bone to pick with ya, son" said Matsuda. "Well that falls under the_ 'take a number'_ category..." said Anthony. "Listen, there's allot of rumors going around lately about you, you might wanna be careful" said Motohama. "And when are they not? You'd be surprised at the amount spread about me back in the states" Anthony answered, not really effected by mere rumors.

"These are serious accusations, my friend! ACCUSATIONS THAT COULD HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES!" Warned Motohama, getting in Anthony's face while adjusting his glasses. Anthony gently pushed the glasses pervert out of his personal space. "Alright. Humor me" Anthony said, though not exactly interested. He was still annoyed these two had the gall to interrupt him while reading his favorite book. And honestly, kids in High School still spread rumors, even in other countries?... What are they, four?

**Matsuda:** Like blackmailing Rias into moving in with ya!

**Anthony:** _*shrugs*_ She likes my company.

**Motohama:** Or devouring Koneko's tiny, prepubescent body like a wild beast!

**Anthony:** _*chuckles*_ Couldn't even if I tried.

**Motohama:** What about you and Kiba having the hots for each other?

**Anthony:** _*blinks*_ ... even if that WAS true, its not wrong either. (**AN:** Was tempted to say '"it's 2019", as we all know crazy shit happens all the time. However, this story takes place when DxD first came around, which was 2008. Saying its 2008 didn't seem very funny, so I went with this.)

**Matsuda:** Sneaking off with Akeno for some erotic shit?

Ooooh, they got Anthony with that one. Lately, his dragon arm had been acting up again, so much so that he had to go to Akeno regularly for a healing session. Since she was the vice president of a club, she had an excuse to not be in class, and its not like Anthony could ask Asia to pull out her Twilight Healing in the middle of one. "She... needed help with paperwork" he fibbed, not knowing what else he could say. "Or getting all up in Asia's busi-..."

POW!

Matsuda continued to run his mouth, and the comment about Asia made Anthony punch him cleanly in the face; with the hand that was bothering our favorite Italian, but he didn't care. The bald-headed pervert flew backwards out of his chair due to the force used on him. "And who exactly is spreading these rumors?" Asked Anthony, shaking off the hand he punched Matsuda with. "We have no idea" said Motohama. "Whoever it is, is a slippery brotha maaaaaaaaaan!" Said Matsuda, who now sported a nice black eye. Anthony took an annoyed deep breath through his nose. "... ok" was all he said before he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

**Female Voice on Anthony's Phone:** Hello?

**Anthony:** Heeeey, Murayama! How's my favorite Kendo Master doing?"

Matsuda and Motohama froze, and their mouths went agape, for 2 reasons. The first was Anthony getting a phone number from such a hot girl, the second was because she and her friend Katase were usually the ones who beat the two up when they 'got in the mood' for their perverted antics.

The scene changes to the girls locker room, with Murayama holding her phone on her shoulder with her head, as she began to take of her gym shorts to put on a fresh uniform. "She's fine, just getting changed for her next class" said the Kendo Master with a smile on her face. She liked Anthony, as he was the only guy she knew that wouldn't sneak a peak or do something lewd, unlike his two friends. In fact, Anthony was the one who gave her the number of the locker that those 2 buffoons used last time. Ya know, when Anthony was watching the show with a large bowl of popcorn during the Epilogue?

They decided to exchange numbers after that.

"Aw. I'm missing a good show then" Anthony joked from the other end of the line. Because she had to change out of her shirt, she had to put the phone on speaker. Besides, it was only her and Katase in the room anyway. She also wasn't sure, but she swore she heard growling on the line. That was actually the Duo, who were frustrated that Anthony was openly flirting with a girl in front of them... WHILE SHE WAS GETTING CHANGED! "Heh, maybe me and Katase can make arrangements later" Murayama teased back. Katase of course heard this, but seeing it was Anthony and not a hormonal idiot, she blushed.

Back in the classroom, "You sure? Even after all those rumors?" Asked Anthony, and it was at this point both perverts gulped. "Rumors?" Asked Murayama. "What rumors?" Asked Katase, walking over to Murayama so she could join the conversation. "Oh; just stuff about me and Kiba, blackmailing Rias, preying on Koneko... ya know, the good stuff" Anthony said. "Oh yeah, I saw Perverts One and Two earlier this morning, shouting some random shit like that" said Katase. "Really?" Anthony feigned surprise. Now Perverts One and Two began to sweat nervously. "But don't worry, no-one believes them anyway. They pulled the same crap with Kiba before you transferred here" said Katase, who was now helping Murayama fasten her bra.

"Sounds quite desperate to me, those two'd do anything for some ass" said Anthony. As much as the Perverted Duo wanted to make a move on Anthony by that comment, he now had the evidence he needed... he figured them out, and there was nothing they could do about it. "I know, right? Anyway, don't worry about the rumors. Even if some people start believing them, we got your back" said Murayama, phone now back in her hand and taking it off of speaker. "Thanks girls, glad I can count on ya... and I'll be coming to the show later" said Anthony, making both girls giggle. He had such perfect timing when it came to humor. "Sorry, we're all sold out" joked Katase. "Oh, darn" said Anthony, snapping his fingers as he whipped his hand with it.

"Well, I gotta get going before our teacher walks in and tells us how evil cell phones are for the thousandth time this week" Anthony joked once again, and that got laughs out of both girls. "Alright. Talk to you later?" Asked Murayama. "You know it" said Anthony and with that, the 3 conversing students said their good-byes as Anthony and Murayama hung up their phones. After slipping the phone back into his pocket, he glanced at the boys in front of him with an evil smile. They both looked terrified, as Anthony appeared to grow bigger than them, anime-style.

POKE! SLAP! (2x)

In a flurry of movement, both perverts fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Anthony had poked their eyes and then slapped them across their faces. "_*sigh*_ What am I gonna do with you two?" Anthony asked no-one in particular, closing his eyes and shaking his head lightly, while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The 3 stooges giving into their primal instincts again?" Asked a girl voice. Looking in its direction, the boys (with the two recovering from Anthony's attack) saw a girl that Asia had hung out with recently. She had the same body type as Asia, wore spectacles, had gold eyes and brunette hair tied into braids that hung off each side of her head that also ended on top of her breasts. Her name was Aika Kiryuu, though everyone called her by her last name because she preferred it.

"No, just Curly and Moe here. I'm starting a solo career soon" said Anthony (**AN:** Do some research about the 3rd stooge always getting replaced, then you'll get the joke). "So this guy's your boyfriend?" Asked Kiryuu. "W-W-What do you mean, boyfriend?" Asked Asia, becoming shy. It was because of Asia's naivety, but she had told Kiryuu about her crush on Anthony... indirectly of course. The spectacles-wearing girl saw how Asia acted around Anthony and how she talked about him, so it was obvious to her that the ex-holy sister had feelings for the Italian.

Kiryuu could see why. They knew each other at a young age, basically home field advantage. Doing basic math, that was over 8 years of friendship; more than enough time for _'other feelings'_ to start surfacing. Plus, Anthony was cute, the girl had to admit; and had a well-rounded personality. He could be nice to you, but he wasn't afraid to throw fisticuffs either.

"Because your always together, even the whole school agrees. There's no way your not having relations like EVERY night" proclaimed Kiryuu. "R-R-Relations?" Asia blushed, furiously. "RELATIONS?!" Both Matsuda and Motohama repeated in shock. "That's against Bro Code Section 12, Subsection..." Motohama began.

CRACK!

Anthony punched Motohama in the face, cracking the right lens of his glasses. "ENOUGH WITH THE BRO CODE!" Yelled Anthony, his patience gauge almost completely empty due to the stunt Matsuda and Motohama pulled. Calming down, Anthony took a deep breath. "Look... I'm NOT Asia's boyfriend, ok? We're just very close. She lives with me... I live with her... that's it" said Anthony. "So you admit you spend nights together, then?" Asked Kiryuu, with a smirk and her glasses shining. Anthony growled at this, but then stopped when this girl got right in his face, adjusting her glasses as she stared at him.

"... wwwwwwhat are you doing?" He asked, confused. "Trying to measure you" said Kiryuu, still adjusting her glasses as she spoke. It rarely happened, but Anthony was stumped at that remark. "...oooooooookaaaaaaaaaay... you need a ruler?" Asked Anthony. "I don't need one, I can accurately measure without it... but for you, I can't seem to get even an estimate" said Kiryuu. "YO! You'd better say away from her, son!" Said Matsuda, sounding nervous for some reason. Now that Anthony looked, even Motohama was nervous as well... but why? "Why? She has cooties?" Asked Anthony. "Worse than that! She can tell mens' sizes without even looking! HER PEEPING LEVEL IS OVER 9000!" Answered Motohama.

Two seconds after that...

BANG!

Anthony just banged his head on his desk and sat there for a moment, questioning his existence. Why couldn't he have just died that night in the park... why? "Alright... I'm going to the bathroom" said Anthony, picking up his head and getting out of his desk chair to leave the room. Before he could however, Kiryuu grabbed his hand and stopped him. Her special power had never failed before, and the fact that it didn't work made her feel off her game. There was something different about this boy, and she intended to find out!

"WAIT A SECOND, I..." Kiryuu was saying, but then stopped talking altogether. As she held his hand, she appeared to be in some kind of trace. "Kiryuu?... Kiryuu?" Asked Asia, seeing her friend freeze up and tried waving a hand in front of her to snap the hair-braided girl out of it. "Yo... Napoleon Dynamite? You alright?" Asked Anthony. Even though this girl gave him a bad first impression, that didn't mean he couldn't be the better person and help if he could. It was strange to see her suddenly go silent... was she having a stroke or something, because that was serious!

All that changed when a salacious smile slowly began to form on her lips. Anthony recognized that look immediately, as Motohama would make that face when he was 'calculating'. If the same held true to this chick, then that means...

"Oh... oh my" Kiryuu said, her smile getting dirtier by the second. Anthony pulled her forward so she was right in his face. "Not... a word" Anthony muttered, sternly. He then pulled his hand out of her's with a single tug. He began to walk away when, "Asia... did I ever tell you your a lucky girl?" Said Kiryuu, not taking Anthony's warning seriously. "Um... what?" Asked Asia with a cocked head, thankfully not understanding. Anthony grew a forehead vein. He didn't know how to feel about this. On one hand, a girl was calling him "a big boy", so it could be interpreted as a compliment or an ego-booster. On the other, she spoke in an bratty fashion, so it was hard to take her "compliment" as such.

"Be careful walking, Anthony! You don't wanna accidentally step on your sword!" Called Kiryuu. This of course, got EVERYONE'S attention, and they all stared at Anthony. The Italian growled again, and clenched his fist in fury... and it was too quick for anyone to notice, but his arm flashed red for a second. _**[Anthony, you might wanna...]** _Ddraig began to warn, wanting to tell Anthony to control his temper, but his master unfortunately blew a fuse before Ddraig could finish.

"MIND YOUR BUSINESS, BETTY SUAREZ! WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO SCAN MY REGIONS?!" Yelled Anthony. "Just warning you to be careful... you could split Asia in half with that thing" said Kiryuu, smiling and pointing to Anthony. She wasn't pointing to anything in particular, but everyone (excluding Asia) knew what she meant. **_[Anthony! Please calm down, or our arm will...]_** Ddraig tried warning again, but it went unheard. "FOR THE LAST TIME; ME AND ASIA ARE NOT TOGETHER, NOR ARE WE DOING ANYTHING! AND EVEN IF WE WERE, IT'S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING... ARGGGGGGGGH!" Anthony roared, then he fell to the floor while grabbing his left arm in pain. It felt like it was on fire!

BA-DUM!

"ANTHONY!" Cried Asia, running over to him. She was tempted to bring out her Twilight Healing, but refrained from doing so because the entire class was watching. "Anthony! What's wrong, bro?" Asked Matsuda. Even if him and Motohama spread lies about him, that didn't mean they didn't care about him... in a weird, two-faced way.

BA-DUM!

Anthony clenched his left arm with his right one, grunting through his teeth. The pain was incredible! In fact, it was a similar feeling when he first got Ddraig's arm.

BA-DUM!

Some students began crowding around, worried about their fellow classmate as he sat in pain. Luckily, the pulsing pain was over, but his arm still felt like it was gonna explode. After more "are you okays" and etc. from the class, Anthony got up. Even Kiryuu was asking if he was alright, as she only meant to tease him. "I-I'm ok, guys. Just gonna... visit the nurse. Can ya cover for me?" Anthony asked, to which multiple students assured him he had nothing to worry about. He left the room, but only Asia knew where Anthony was REALLY gonna go, and felt sorry she couldn't do anything for him at the moment. Ddraig's arm was acting up again, so he was gonna see Akeno.

The ex-nun was also starting to worry; thinking Anthony giving up his arm wasn't the best idea in the long run, if this was going to be an everyday occurrence. Sure it made Anthony stronger, but at the cost of his arm no longer being his own. She admired his bravery and selflessness, but couldn't help but feel it might get him seriously hurt.

"So... you guys seriously don't do anything? Your not together like, at all?" Asked Kiryuu, still looking for confirmation. "Doing what?" Asked Asia. "Ya know... stuff late at night, just before bed..." Teased Kiryuu again with a sly smile, causing Asia to close the brunette's mouth with both her hands. "STOP IT! DON'T SAY THAT STUFF ANYMOOOOOOOORE!" Asia whined. Hearing this got Matsuda and Motohama crying again, tears rushing down their faces. "WHY'S IT ALWAYS HIM?" Both boys sobbed.

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Dai**: means "come on"

2) **Doccia Canoa**: means "douche canoe"

3) **Zitto**: a quick way to say "shut up". In this instance, its the equivalent to telling someone to "zip it"

4) **Buttalo Via**: means "knock it off"

5) **Cazzo Tuo Problema**: means "the fucks your problem?"


	27. Chapter 27

1) **Vhaer**: Italian Loving? HA! I LOVE IT! I guess I can squeeze in some light make-out scenes at some point. Thanks for the idea!

2A) **Arc**: Glad to see your enjoying my interpretation, as well as the love and care I've put into it. True, lemons sometimes pop outta nowhere, Naruto especially as its the most popular fic type... that and Pokemon. But hey; all the 13-year-old writers gotta get dem views somehow, right? Jokes aside, I still had to ask because I wanted the fanbases input. My stories might be written by me, but it's also written FOR my fans and any new ones that so happen to drop by. I wish to make people smile and be happy while reading my content... or at least, something for them to enjoy while they sit on their phones.

2B) **Arc**: About the anime making Rias and Issei became distant, it's because the new company that took over claimed they are going to follow to source material (the manga and light novels) more closely, which is also why they retconned the series all the way back to Issei's Juggernaut activation. I could be wrong when I say this, but Issei never said Rias' name until after Sairarog's battle in the manga. Issei didn't think Rias as a Gremory, just Rias; and that's what got them close because he saw Rias for who she was, not WHAT she is. Due to Raynare's curse AKA trauma, Issei couldn't see the girls having feelings for him, especially since he was starting to have some for Rias. So when she approached him with her... *ahem*, _feelings_... she got upset since Issei called her a name, not HER name (that... and she was currently:_ in the mood_). Sure it sounds ridiculous, but the mind does crazy things to protect the individual sometimes.

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 3: Lezaza's Secret**

Anthony was just outside the doors of the ORC, and his arm wouldn't quit throbbing. "Nrgh... h-hey, Ddraig? Why is my arm acting up still? I thought the energy would've settled by now" asked Anthony, groaning as his arm still hurt. Ddraig had told him once before that because Anthony just got a new arm, the dragonic power within needed time to adapt to its new home.**_ [It already did. You just need to keep a tight lid on that temper of yours. When your distressed, your body will subconsciously draw on more power as a defense mechanism. For us Dragons', its what your kind calls 'fight or flight' response]_ **Ddraig explained. "Ah... I'll be more careful" promised Anthony. _**[You'd better. Cause when the White One awakens, you'll need...]**_ Ddraig began, but he was stopped for 2 reasons:

1) Anthony opening the door.

2) The sight of Akeno LITERALLY just stepping out of the shower.

Both the Senior and the Italian stood there for about a minute, before Anthony slammed the door shut. "I'M SORRY!" He yelped as the door was slammed. Inside the room though, Akeno didn't seem to mind at all, and only blushed. Outside the room, Anthony took a few breaths in. "_*sigh*_ I'm gonna get a heart attack one of these days... I'm sorry, Ddraig; you were saying something?" Asked Anthony. All he heard from Ddraig's previous statement was something about a White One... whatever that meant. **_[Er... its nothing. I'll tell you later]_ **said Ddraig. "You can come in now" called Akeno, almost in a sing-song way.

Anthony reopened the door. "Yeah, sorry about that, Akeno. I waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas..." Anthony began, but he found his words trapped in his throat at what he was seeing.

Except for a bathrobe that was way too thin and WAY too short for her, Akeno was still naked. Her recent shower also forced the robe to cling to her body, emphasizing ALL of her curves. "Uh... I can wait outside while you get changed" Anthony said quickly, reaching behind him and desperately trying to grab the door handle. He finally got a grip on it, but that's also when Akeno had gotten ahold of his other arm and gently pulled him along. "It's fine. My little Kohai can visit me, _anytime_..." said Akeno with a sultry smile, as she sat Anthony down on the sofa before he could [try to] protest further.

With Anthony now on the sofa, Akeno just stood above him, her knockers swaying as she did. "So, is there a reason you came by?" She asked. "Uh... yeah. My arm is, NRGH!" Anthony said, pulling his eyes away from the show; but then his arm flashed red again as he grabbed it in pain. "Oh no, your dragon arm is acting up again. Poor baby; we can't have the Italian Dragon Emperor feeling unwell, can we?" Akeno asked, beginning to sit on the floor on her knees. Anthony just gulped at the sight; mostly cause from this angle, he could see her huge breasts and the cleavage between them. "Something wrong?" Asked Akeno, innocently; though she could tell Anthony was flustered. "Uh... its just, your still wet. Really, I-I-I can wait outside..." Anthony said, trying not to dwell into the dark side.

"Heheh... your the one who barged in as I got out of the shower, not my fault I didn't get to dry properly. It's not... distracting... is it?" Asked Akeno, as she grabbed his left hand, though Anthony could tell by her tone she already KNEW the answer. She was rubbing her still-wet hands all over Anthony's left, massaging it gently and making sure to do his fingers. It felt pretty good to be quite honest. "N-N-No, its t-t-totally b-b-bene, but uh... all I need i-is a quick healing session and I'll be outta your hair" said Anthony, trying to remain calm. The ministrations Akeno was giving him sent chills up his spine, and the last thing he needed was another 'girl discovers my size through my pants' again.

"Healing was never gonna work out forever, it was only a temporary measure. In order to clean out all that build-up, it needs to leave your body" said Akeno. Anthony wasn't sure, but did her tone just get even more sultry than usual?... Why was she staring at his hand like that? And while blushing? "Oh ok... so I'll just go fire some Dragon Shots outside and... URK!" Went Anthony; because out of nowhere, Akeno took his index finger and placed it in her warm mouth, sucking on it. The Italian couldn't help but gasp out, he didn't expect her to do this.

Akeno seemed to enjoy it... or at least enjoying torturing Anthony with it, it was hard to tell. (**AN:** I always felt the writers of the anime could do a little more to start the erotic scene between Akeno and Issei. The pool one was fine but for me personally, the club room one seemed to just happen.)

Akeno began to suck with even more force, bending his finger all around her mouth to try different positions. Her moist tongue was wrapped around his finger, licking the tip of it when she got a chance. Akeno was also moaning as she did this, becoming so immersed in the task that she closed her eyes, making sure to coat as much saliva on Anthony's finger as possible. Anthony had to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from making similar noises, he had never felt anything like this before and even if he did, he couldn't imagine it would feel this intense.

**_[Those D-Bags you call friends would flip out if they found out you got a finger-job from her. Occult Research Club for the win!]_** Said Ddraig, but Anthony wasn't really paying attention. He was too focused on controlling himself. Akeno of course, saw the effects of her work; and it made her want to torture him further. She increased the suction and gently pulled his hand back and forth, also making his finger move back and forth in her mouth. She wanted to make him squirm... make the mighty Red Dragon crack under pressure. However, even though Anthony's face told her she was dong a good job, he still held onto his mentality... which she wanted to break. She then sucked in his finger as far as it would go... then lightly bit on it, her teeth gently scraping against his skin.

Both Ddraig and Anthony grunted out at that one, they couldn't help it.

Feeling satisfied, and figuring he (and Ddraig) had enough, Akeno removed his finger from her mouth, though didn't let go of his hand. "Honestly, its just a simple procedure... I thought you had a long trigger" said Akeno, staring up at Anthony with her violet eyes. "Ha... like I said... a stupefacente woman" said Anthony, recovering from Akeno's 'procedure'. "Your sweet, but it just makes me want to taunt you even more" said Akeno, letting go of Anthony's hand and standing up. She then got on top of him, her large breasts now squashing against his chest. It also didn't help that the seductive Devil wrapped her arms around his neck to pull herself even closer.

She was resting on his waist, one of Anthony's knees were supporting Akeno... and Anthony didn't feel anything under her robe.

"You didn't... put anything on?" He asked with a squeak. He thought she'd at least put some underwear on, isn't that was a robe was for? So you can walk around your home in your underwear? "I didn't have time, you rushed in before I had a chance" Akeno said. "S-Sorry about that" said Anthony, not able to think of anything else. "Heheh, don't be. It's nice to feel all natural once in a while" said Akeno. "Yeah. All natural... _its great_" Anthony said, nervously. "By the way, you make a very comfortable pillow" Akeno said. "So I've been told..." said Anthony. "Heheh... but if I make a move, Rias'll get upset. And we both know how she'll react... that poor Tiffany girl didn't stand a chance" Akeno said with a purr.

No, Tiffany wasn't killed; just freaked out.

-FLASHBACK-

_Once again, Rias had tackled Anthony from the front while he was walking with Tiffany. Seriously, what was with her lately? "... right on schedule" said Anthony, lifting and looking at his empty left wrist as if it had a watch on it. Tiffany held in a giggle, Anthony's timing was impeccable. "Anthony... can you come with me to the club room for a minute?" Rias asked. "Some of us have actual classes, your highness. I'm waking Tiffany to her's, then I gotta get to my own" said Anthony._

_"I'll have..." Rias was saying, but then she and Anthony ended up saying at the same time: "have Sona write you/me a pass". Rias didn't say anything in response, but the look on her face showed surprise since Anthony basically read her mind. It then changed to an amused smirk. __"As nice as that sounds, I still have work to make up from the last time you did that" said Anthony. "Who wants to do boring schoolwork anyway? Come on. I'll make it fun" said Rias. "A little TLC, eh?" Asked Anthony. "Only for my favorite Italian..." said Rias, pulling herself closer to Anthony._

_Tiffany didn't know what came over her, but she felt a knot in her chest. "Can't you take a hint? He doesn't want to..." she was saying, locking eyes with Rias. As soon as she did, Tiffany felt a sense of dread loom over her. Rias was actually flaring her power, though the aura was not visible. Regardless, it had the desired effect, which was causing the dirty-blond to recoil. "I-I-I'll see ya later, Anthony. I-I-I can make it from here" Tiffany said, backing up slowly and then took off for her own class._

_Anthony watched her go, then with a blink, he turned his eyes to Rias. "Was that really__ occorrente?"_

-END FLASHBACK-

"Uh... yeah... plus, that one guy you have a crush on will miss his chance" said Anthony. "Yeah. I took your advice, but he's still totally clueless" said Akeno. "Really? Sounds like a huge moron" Anthony responded... and he wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he felt Ddraig face-claw himself just now.

Akeno picked up his left hand again, staring at it almost hungrily. "Yeah... but that's why I like him" she said, giving his hand a lick from the center of his palm, all the way up to his fingertips. She went as slow as possible; and when she got to the tips, she put her mouth over his middle and index fingers, beginning to suck again. Even though Anthony expected that to happen when she licked his hand, he couldn't help but release a low grunt. Who would've thought getting something as simple as your fingers sucked would send your mind into a haze?

After what felt like the entire school day, Akeno finally pulled away and and sat up. "The energy is gone, at least for now" she said, wiping her mouth with a sleeve of her robe. **[Yeah... I'll be spent for quite a while]** said Ddraig, sounding exhausted. Apparently, Akeno's _operation_ did quite a number on the dragon as well. "Momma Mia..." said Anthony, sighing out a breath, equaling Ddraig. He was flat against the sofa, his body finally able to relax. Good thing too, cause he didn't know how much more he could've taken...

DING, DING, DING, DONG!

The sound of the warning bell went off, signaling that class would start in 10 minutes. Wow, an hour few by that fast? "Aw, our time is up... Let's do this again sometime, Anthony. It was fun" said Akeno, sounding upset at first, then cheering herself up with a smile. Before getting off Anthony however, she traced a straight line down Anthony's chest, making him shudder and stiffen at her touch. "Yeah... fun..." Anthony said, getting up and leaving the room. He hoped Asia wasn't too worried/jealous with him gone for so long, as this was the first time Akeno done_ this_ kind of healing.

Akeno watched him go until she was left alone in the club room, she found it hot that he got so flustered. "I wonder... could this be love?" She muttered to herself, pondering this with a finger on her chin.

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony had a contract later that night. More accurately, Rias BEGGED him to take it, saying it was HIGH PRIORITY; and he wasn't gonna refuse if she needed something. He still wasn't the best at teleportation though, so he had to have Rias once again poof him in front of the meeting place. It was a building called "Village Amazon" (**AN:** Unofficial name, since its mostly obscured by tress in the anime; but the word spacing on the building makes this seem plausible); a large, luxurious, and no doubt VERY EXPENSIVE complex. Anthony was a little familiar with this place. Some people at Anthony's job spoke about it, saying only the most important people such as company heads or world leaders can afford to live here. "Whoa. Guy must be a big shot" said Anthony, looking up at the massive building in amazement.

A small bell rang as soon as Anthony opened the door. "Welcome to Village Amazon, how can I hel...?" Asked the front service clerk. Looking up from the desk was a girl with dirty-blond hair, but she stopped upon seeing who walked in. "Anthony?" She asked. "Tiffany? The hell are you doing here?" Asked Anthony, not expecting to see a friend here of all places. "I work here. What's your excuse?" Tiffany asked with a smirk. "I'm uh, meeting someone" said Anthony, not wanting to share the fact he's here for a Devil.

"Meeting someone?... So your a contractor too?" Asked Tiffany, half-joking but also a little interested if it was true. "... Yeah, you can say that" said Anthony, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't help but find her assumption both accurate... and quite ironic. Anthony pulled out a piece of paper Rias gave him, all it had was a number, which Anthony is now assuming is a room. "Which floor is 1408?" Asked Anthony, causing Tiffany to do a double-take. "... seriously?" She asked, thinking he was joking. "That's what it says" said Anthony, showing the paper to Tiffany. "Shit, do we even go that high?" She asked aloud, starting to use the computer in front of her.

"You work here, and you don't even know where your own rooms are?" Anthony asked with a smile. "I'm the front desk, not housekeeping; plus I only started a week ago" she snapped back with a smile. After typing some stuff in, she finally found what she was looking for. "Ah, here it is. Top floor, 10th door on your right. Take that elevator, it's easier" said Tiffany, pointing to an elevator nearby. "Thank you, mademoiselle. Not bad for a recent-hire" said Anthony, pulling the sides of his jeans out to imitate bowing with a skirt. "Get out of here, asshole!" Tiffany answered, struggling to contain her laughter. "Hey. Be careful... I might just have call Rias on ya" Anthony joked with Tiffany while pointing at her. "Go ahead. I'll kick her ass, then yours" said Tiffany, getting back to her own work.

As soon as Anthony got in the elevator, Ddraig spoke out, sounding like a certain cowboy doll: **[I would LOOOVE, to see her try.]** Anthony chuckled, thinking the exact same thing, he just didn't say it to Tiffany's face.

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony got to the room and knocked on it, waiting for the client to answer. The door opened, but Anthony's eyes were closed as he gave an explanation on why he didn't just teleport into the room itself. "Yeah, yeah; I know, I know. What kind of Devil knocks on doors? Members of the Gremory house are supposed to come of these magic cards like a game of Duel Monsters, but I'm in remission" the Italian explained, holding out the Gremory symbol. "I thought because your still human" said the person who opened the door, sounding like someone Anthony didn't expect to meet here. His eyes shooting open, Anthony saw standing in the doorway was none other than... "LEZAZA?!" Shouted Anthony. "Ya coming in or what?" The old man asked with a smirk, wearing a black silk robe and standing using his cane.

Lezaza stepped aside to allow Anthony in, revealing a cozy-looking room. The young Italian sat on a VERY comfortable sofa, taking in his surroundings and situation. It wasn't often he was caught off-guard, but it was surprising to discover his own foster father summons Devils. He lived with Lezaza before, but it wasn't here. It was in a hotel suite, and the place was run by a sweet girl named Charlie, with help from a bunch of weird friends of her's. However, the young dragon couldn't recall the hotels name... (**AN:** Eh? Eh? Had to squeeze this reference in, can you guess what it is?)

"So... have long have ya known?" Asked Anthony, getting comfortable. Lezaza walked over at an old mans pace, sitting down slowly. "Been a client for years, kid. To Sirzechs mostly. Once I saw you with his sister however, I got a hunch and called her instead, asking for you personally" said Lezaza. "Really now?" Asked Anthony, sounding a little annoyed. No wonder Rias was so adamant for HIM to take this particular contract.

He was gonna have some choice words with her when he gets back, that's for sure.

"I'm gonna get a drink, ya want anything?" Asked Lezaza, slowly standing up and using his cane for support. "A shot of whatever your gonna have" said Anthony, knowing what Lezaza was getting up for. The man was a drinker, and Anthony used to have some with him... not allot since he was (and still is) a minor. Lezaza let him get away with allot of shit growing up. "Cynar or Amaro?" Asked Lezaza. "Screaming Eagle" Anthony said with a sly smile. "Your a real funny man, aren't ya?" Said Lezaza, walking slowly to a little bar in a corner of the room.

_A few minutes of drinks (on Lezaza's part) and casual conversation later..._

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You mean since you failed to reincarnate, you can't teleport?" Laughed Lezaza, heartily... though it might have been the buzz from the drinks. Anthony and him were making small talk because apparently, that's the reason Lezaza calls Devils in the first place. "Not exactly, I can go maybe 3 feet... 4 on a good day" said Anthony. "That's hilarious! HAHAHAHAHA _*snort, snort*_ HAHAHAHAHA! It's the most standard magic you'll learn!" Laughed Lezaza. "I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY IT!" Anthony snapped, pointing at his guardian.

"Ahhhhh... that was fun, but I gotta get some sleep; rest these old bones" said Lezaza, recovering from his laughter. He began to get up, but then stopped. "Oh right, you need compensation... how's my soul sound?" Joked the old man. "That's, not the way it works. Anything else will be fine" said Anthony, his hands up in defense. "How about this?" Asked Lezaza, pointing behind him. Above him was a giant picture. "Your picture of Italy?" Asked Anthony, surprised his foster father would give that away so easily. It was expensive and custom made... Heck! He wouldn't hang it at the family diner!

"Well, the banks are closed this time of night, and I have nothing else to pay you with" said Lezaza. "But it's your favorite!" Said Anthony, which was the other reason Lezaza never brought it to the family diner as a decoration. Most of the pictures hung in there belonged to him, were donated by faithful employees, or gifted by more-than-satisfied customers. This one however, was special. The old man would spend countless time in Anthony's younger years obsessing over that thing, dusting it every hour and such.

"Well, there's always my soul."

"I DON'T WANT YOUR CRUSTY, OLD SOUL!"

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony called Rias, telling that the... client, was taken care of. She opened a magic circle, allowing Anthony to finally teleport back. He appeared before the group, carrying the picture Lezaza gave him as payment for his services. The picture in question was covering his face. "Well done, Anthony. Another successful contract" said Rias, but Anthony just walked over without a word, leaning the picture behind Rias' desk. "Nice picture. I'll have to hang it over my desk later" said Rias. Anthony still did not respond. "Did you enjoy the client?" Asked Rias, still wearing that smile.

Anthony was silent for a few seconds before finally answering. "... You knew... all along" he hissed. "About what?" Asked a still smiling Rias, faking innocence. "Real cute, Shana; fess up" said Anthony, staring down at the redhead as she was sitting at her desk. "I honestly have no idea what your talking about" Rias insisted, though it was hard to take her seriously with that smirk she had. "About MY PADRE!" Said Anthony, slamming Rias' desk with both hands upon saying padre. "Oh, him? He was a costumer for years... for my brother mostly" said Rias. "And you never told me?" Yelled Anthony. "Devil/Client confidentiality" said Rias with a shrug and yes, still smiling.

...

...

...

Anthony looked like he would explode. He began to smile with anger. "Oh-hohoho... HOHO, hohoho..." He started with a not-so-amused chuckle, winding up his left arm. "BANG! ZOOM!" He finished, punching upwards and then whipping the arm he punched with, imitating what he was thinking of doing to Rias. **[In theory, you COULD actually do that with my power]** said Ddraig. "Please... don't tempt me, Ddraig" said Anthony.

-TIME BREAK-

The next day went by normally: Anthony woke up to Rias sleeping with him, the Perverted Duo got caught peaking again (Anthony may or may not have had something to do with it), and Anthony had lunch with Tiffany and Asia... with Rias crashing the party midway. The only thing different was that Ddraig's arm wasn't acting up anymore... that last _healing_ session really worked. After school had ended, Anthony was walking down the halls of the old club house when he heard laughing. Opening the doors...

**Lezaza**: And he thought it was a good idea to turn the stove on, WITHOUT cleaning the grease pan first! Almost burned the place down, that buffoon.

Anthony walked in to see Rias, balling her eyes out and banging her fist on her desk while laughing, and Lezaza sitting on one of the sofas. The old man was telling stories to the ORC about Anthony when he first hired/adopted him. Rias wasn't laughing because the old mans stories were funny (which they weren't THAT funny anyway), but because they painted Anthony as an inexperienced idiot. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Anthony yelled, stomping into the room and up to his foster dad. It was bad enough his old man made fun of him in front of Rias at work... NOW he was making fun of him AT HIS SCHOOL!

"See the lovely ladies my son got acquainted with?" Lezaza_ asked_ with a shrug. Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling through his nostrils in annoyance. "Momma Mia... don't you have a diner to run or something, _dad_?" Anthony sarcastically asked. "Luigi's in charge while I ran some errands, then I figured I'd stop by... is that a problem?" Lezaza _asked_ again. "Besides, I still have to pay the sweetheart properly for giving me such an 'amazing' Devil to drink with" Lezaza said. "SHE DOESN'T WANT YOUR SOUL EITHER!" Yelled Anthony. "I don't know... the Gremory house could use a wise, old man who also knows how to cook" joked Rias while rubbing under her chin, knowing this would push Anthony's buttons further. "YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE! YOUR NOT HELPING!" Anthony yelled at her.

Having no way of getting rid of his foster father, Anthony was forced to sit in the club room and listen to him tell story after story for the last hour in a half. One was when a younger Anthony got scared of a clown after seeing a certain movie when the main character asked _'why so serious?'_, and he couldn't sleep for a week. The next story was similar, only about a large cat in a striped top hat. The third story was when Lezaza thought it would be funny to bring a young Anthony to a nightclub at a casino, and see his reaction to a bunch of girls wearing feathery outfits... that were also tight-fitting, especially in the headlight and caboose areas...

Anthony had no excuses ready for a single one, he just sat there and took the ball-breaking.

Rias was laughing her ass off; Akeno tried holding it in and failed; Kiba (who's been looking depressed for some reason) also had a small smile break out; and Koneko was sitting eating a small cheesecake. While she internalized her laughter, she also has a small smile... especially at the 'cat in the top hat' part. "Anthony... is all of that true?" Asked Asia, trying not to laugh at some of the stories. "Keep in mind, this is coming from a senile old man with back issues... A YO... LAMONT! LAMONT! HELP ME, YA BIG DUMMY!" Said Anthony, getting up from his seat and dragging his feet along the floor as he walked, while holding his back. Asia giggled, knowing what he was talking about, as the nuns at the church in America usually watched on TV what he was imitating on their days off.

Wait... Anthony never answered her question...

"This was fun and all, but I gotta getting going. Diners' don't run themselves, ya know" said Lezaza, starting to get up slowly. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Lezaza. I really enjoyed your company" said Rias, emphasizing on the word: really? "Tots... you should visit more often" said Koneko. "Yes. It was very... informative" said Akeno. "Ugh, qualcuno mi uccide" Anthony groaned to himself. "It can be arranged... maybe once every sun..." Lezaza was saying but as he stood up to his full height, he dropped his cane. "OH SHIT! LEZAZA...!" Anthony began, bolting up to catch his foster father, but stopped. Lezaza's cane laid on the floor...

...

...

...

He was standing upright... without any problems. "L-Lezaza?" Asked Anthony, confused. The ORC was also, as they saw the little show Anthony put on about him. Lezaza eyes also widened, realizing this. "Y-Your... standing..." Anthony continued with a few blinks of his eyes, processing what he was seeing. A miracle? Well; unless he was saved by a crazy redhead himself, the old man in front of him should have no reason to be able to do this. "... how?... They said you back is fucked up forever" Anthony said, referring to the doctors.

Lezaza's eyes turned to shame, but why?

"Anthony... I'm sorry" said Lezaza, waking away from the sofa to a spot more roomy. "Sorry?... Sorry about what? This is incredible, I mean; you can walk again and..." said Anthony, looking on the bright side. "I lied... Anthony... I'm not... who you think I am" said Lezaza, sounding even more ashamed. Before Anthony could ask what that was supposed to mean, a circle formed beneath the old man. At first, Anthony assumed it was Rias' magic, but this circle was a different color. It began to lift itself up... and the old mans appearance had changed. He was now MUCH younger, looking taller and refined.

Anthony and the ORC stood in shock. **[Impressive. His magic disguise prevented even ME from sensing what he really was]** said Ddraig, sounding impressed. "Magic? Disguise?... Lezaza, what's going on?" Asked Anthony, now even more confused. He also happened to notice his Devil friends (minus Asia, as she was made one recently) had serious, yet hostile looks on their faces. **[He's NOT Lezaza, Anthony. In fact, he's not even human]** said Ddraig. "Not human?... That's crazy talk, he's an old man who runs a restaurant and..." Anthony said. "Anthony. Lezaza... and his business... was just a front" said Lezaza, or at least, the one formerly known as him.

FLAP!

At that moment; a total of 12 wings, 6 on each side; shot out of Lezaza's back... raven-black wings...

At this point, the ORC Devils (again, excluding Asia) got into battle positions. Rias had her Destruction Magic out on her right hand, Kiba pulled out a sword, sparks danced along Akeno's fingers, and Koneko took a battle stance. "AZAZEL! I'VE SHOULD'VE KNOWN! So when your lackeys failed, you've come to finish the job yourself?" Asked Rias, getting protective. The Fallen Angels... well, a _certain_ _one_ anyway... was after Anthony because of his Gear. It appeared the leader of the Fallen Ones themselves was now taking matters into his own hands. Still... Rias wouldn't allow it, not on her life... not to _her_ Pawn.

Azazel flared his own power; which was more than Raynare's or Riser's. Even the combined powers of the ORC barely matched it. This was to be expected since he was the ONLY Fallen Angel to have 12 wings, which symbolizes his strength. However, he only held it for a few seconds before dispelling it. "If I wanted to kill him, or any of you, I would've already done it. Besides; me, Sirzechs and Michael have been working on a Peace Treaty after what that crazy bitch did to him. I can speak for all of the Fallen when I say we are tried of all the fighting, now can you _please_ put your weapons away?" Asked Azazel, also recalling his wings.

The ORC complied, but still kept their guards up. "... a Peace Treaty?" Questioned Rias, as she was not aware of this... assuming it was true, of course. "It was kept under warps. Imagine the outrage if we went public. For the last 8 years, we've been butting heads until finally, we worked something out. It will be finalized soon, just need to get together and sign it" explained the Fallen Angel. "It was you..." came a growl from...

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony's Gear came out, his power starting to radiate. "It was you... all along..." said Anthony, trying EXTREMELY hard to not pop a gasket. "It was" said Azazel. The 2 of them started going back and forth, with Anthony angry and Azazel ashamed.

"You sent her..."

"I did."

"She killed them..."

"She did. As soon as I found out, I banished her personally."

"BANISHED?!"

**[BOOST!]**

BLAM!

Anthony held his hand out sideways, sending out a Dragon Shot that punched through the wall to the outside world, though it was a good thing the ORC was away from the main school building or they'd have some explaining to do... his left arm also shaking. "Is that... supposed to make me feel better? Because she still came after me like Jamie Calloway" he continued, his arm Boosting again immediately. "All I told her to do was watch you, everything else was on her own accord" said Azazel, calm despite Anthony's power and anger. "Oh-ho, she did ALLOT more than watching..." Anthony growled.

**[BOOST!]**

"I'm aware... I regret the very day I assigned her too you..."

"So you pitied me and took me under your wings?"

"I couldn't let you walk around in a country you had no idea about. I felt responsible and had to atone for it."

"And this never came up as a child, WHY?!"

"... would you have reacted differently?"

Azazel got him there. "I couldn't tell you, cause I knew how you'd take it. You'd get angry and frankly, I can't blame you. I fucked up... and 2 innocent lives were taken. If I could take back all that pain, all that suffering; I would. She disobeyed orders, and then got your friend Asia involved years later... because of me. I can only imagine knowing that I, the leader and the one to raise you, was the very one who tore your life apart" said Azazel, then he held out his hands. "And if you wanna kill me for it like you did her... then I won't stop you" he finished, sounding truly sorry for his huge mistake and willing to give himself up to atone for his sins.

You could literally hear Anthony grinding his teeth in fury, his emotions running high.

**[BOOST!]**

He suddenly darted out of sight and appeared right in front of the Fallen Angel, almost like he teleported or had promoted himself to a Knight... which he did neither. He quickly pulled his left arm back, and looked up at Azazel with green eyes!

**[EXPLOSION!]**

With a loud yell, he thrust his fist forward while tears rolled down his cheeks.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The ORC had to look away from the blinding light. Although it wasn't nearly as powerful as with what Anthony killed Raynare with due to only Boosting a few times; the power in that blow alone seemed more than strong enough to heavily damage anyone, or anything, on the receiving end of it. Heck, if he did that with Ajuka; even HIS shield would have broken completely during their bout they had a while back.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

The light finally faded, and it was shown Azazel was still alive; but his pupils were dilated due to the adrenaline flooding through his body and the display of power Anthony was packing. The screen zooms out from his face to show he was never struck... though the wall might need emergency medical attention. Anthony's Gear was lodged inside, and he was sobbing and huffing and puffing lightly. "... Anthony, I..." said Azazel, as he attempted to put his arm around the boy to console him... "DON'T!... Touch me..." Anthony said, holding back his anger a little, which caused Azazel to flinch but respect the dragons wish and back off. Even if he changed his mind at the last second, that didn't mean he wouldn't change it again and decide to obliterate the Fallen Angel with a single strike.

Pulling his fist out of the wall, Anthony walked around the man who helped him, but also the man who ruined his life. He put a hand on the door handle, "Permission to take the rest of the day off?" Anthony asked in an emtionally-drained voice without looking back, though the ORC knew he was directing it to Rias. All she said after a moment was: "Granted."

SLAM!

Without another word, Anthony left the room and slammed the door behind him, the force strong enough to make _Leazaza's _picture fall off the wall behind Rias' desk. She didn't care about the picture now, she was more concerned about Anthony's mental state. He worked so hard to finally get over the past that haunted him, NOW a random Fallen One shows up and reopens the wounds Anthony had snitched closed after so many years. She had half a mind to burn Azazel alive right where he stood. "... I suppose I'll let myself out" said Azazel; with the group, even Asia, giving him a look that said: "you'd better."

A circle formed beneath him, but before he actually used it, "Oh, and by the way... has anything odd been happening between you and Anthony lately?" Azazel asked the entire group. Rias herself had to hold in a scoff, the Fallen Angel leader had some nerve asking that. "You mean besides you?" Asked Koneko, rudely. She didn't know why, but had a sudden urge to protect Anthony from this guy. "What's it to you?" Asked Rias with her arms folded under her chest.

Azazel looked away for a second, then looked back at the group. "The reason I had Raynare go after Anthony... wasn't just about his Gear" he admitted, which stunned the group a bit. There was another reason why the Fallen were interested in him? But what could it possibly be? He had the Red Dragon inside of him, a being of god-like power, what OTHER possible explanation could the leader himself have for waiting Anthony spied on? "There's something... different about him. Surely you felt that too, haven't you?" Azazel asked. While no one verbally answered; the looks on Rias', Asia's, Akeno's and even Koneko's faces told him all he needed to know.

Rias was remembering the first time Anthony hugged her... she felt peaceful. There was never an explanation for it, so she just assumed she was imagining it since it was the first time she slept with a boy, as Riser never got the privilege. Akeno began to recall when Anthony ran his hands through her hair back at his now-abandoned house, then back to their most recent _healing_ _session_... they both felt amazing, but she couldn't figure out why. Asia thought of when she was drawn to him as a child. Now that she was more knowledgeable about 'gifts' being Sacred Gears, she figured it was only her Gear reacting to his... was there another reason? Finally, Koneko memorized what happened when Anthony scratched her head. She felt the same way as the other girls did, but concluded it was because it was where her _ears_ were located.

HELL! Even Rassei, shared between Asia and Anthony, had obeyed and warmed up to the Italian; despite the fact that Sprite Dragons' DESPISE males! Was it true?... Was there something more to Anthony than just the Red One himself?

"You all felt... different when he touches you, didn't you?" He asked, though it was more of a statement. Again, no girl answered, but the reactions enough was all Azazel needed for confirmation. "I-It's none of your business. Now leave, before I decide to remove you personally" said Rias, flustered; but then sort of recovered, threatening Azazel with Destruction Magic again. "Fine... but don't say I didn't warn you" said Azazel and with that, he sunk down into his magic circle, removing himself from the ORC's presence.

They all left to return to their homes after that. Out of respect, Rias and Asia didn't try to go to bed with Anthony that night... he had enough on his mind at the moment...

* * *

So now, Anthony knows the truth. I'ma be honest, while I was writing it, even my heart began to melt for the guy... then again, he's kinda my son in a sense since I created him. What do you guys think?

Your probably wondering why I had him become aware of Azazel earlier. It's for originality obviously. But it's also for development reasons because unlike Issei, Azazel didn't raise the kid; he and Azazel bonded over breasts and Harems. Think about it; when a family member you love does something you think is wrong, its a different feeling than if it was a friend. Its like an intense feeling of betrayal, which is what I'm trying to portray here. Will he ever forgive Azazel for lying and everything he indirectly caused? That's for time to tell. By the way... what's that power Azazel mentioned Anthony had, aside from the Boosted Gear?

Can't wait to hear your reviews, and I'll see ya in the next chapter!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Occorrente**: means "necessary"

2) **Cynar **and **Amaro**: are types of alcoholic beverages imported from Italy. Amaro also means "bitter".

3) **Screaming Eagle**: Not an Italian word or phrase (obviously), but it IS one of the worlds most expensive wines; from Italy no less.

4) **Padre**: means "father"

5) **Qualcuno Mi Uccide**: means "someone kill me"


	28. Chapter 28

1) **Some Random Dude:** I had to do it. XD

2) **54godamora:** Now I was gonna respond to your review, but after looking it over, it seems kinda personal. I don't know if you'd want that ALL out there on this page for everyone to see, so if you want me to remove it, I will. But I can see your starting to feel a deeper connection to Anthony, which is good. I want my stories to be relatable to people, which makes it more entertaining and enjoyable in my opinion. Compared to my first major OC, Nosfer-Ben in the Ben10/Vampire series, I personally feel Anthony is more relatable as he's still human. The only non-relatable thing he has going on is a dragon living in his arm, who is dealing with his own issues about his former master.

Now with the shout-outs done, ya know what I HAVEN'T seen done before?... Adapting the DxD Specials into a fanfic, so I might as well start! This chapter will include one of them, along with the Dodgeball match that I skipped. Said match will also include some original scenes, as well as the first original power for Anthony. It's not too impressive of a power, so I'll expect a few WTF responses from you guys... but it's an original power nonetheless. ENJOY!

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 4: Getting Back in the Game**

It's been 5 days since the... incident, and Anthony wasn't taking it well. He was silent and gave off an aura of constant anger and distraught. It was expected since Azazel revealed he helped Anthony get on his feet, but it was an intense feeling of betrayal as the Fallen One was also responsible for sending a psycho after him. He still did his normal routines; such as cook day and night, go to school and did some contracts; but his mood affected his performances in all of those things. The quality of his cooking, while it was still the most divine thing the ORC had, seemed rushed and had no care or effort put into it (**AN:** Ask ANY Italian this, so much time and passion goes into cooking). His grades began to drop, though not by too much, it was still noticeable. Also when he did contracts, clients would say that while he did his job well... he lacked any of the energy or heart he once had, and they were concerned.

In fact, when there was a Rating Game announced between Sona and Rias, Anthony called out immediately. Normally; Rias is VERY competitive when it came to Rating Games, but was willing to put those feelings aside because of Anthony's change in behavior, figuring a Rating Game wasn't the best thing for him right now. As bad as he felt about not going, he knew it wasn't something he was ready to start again. Just imagine the carnage he'd cause with these emotions swirling around inside him!

It ended in a tie, as both Rias and Sona were equally matched. While Rias' team had the strength, Sona's had the smarts; which leveled out the playing field and ended the match in a Draw.

Rias was pondering in her office one day of a way to cheer Anthony up, when a knock on the door occurred. "It's open, Sona" said Rias and sure enough, Sona let herself in. "Busy?" She asked, poking her head in and walking inside the room. "Just finished actually. Would you like some of Akeno's tea? I just have to heat it up" said Rias. Sona sat on one of the sofas, looking in Rias' direction, and held up a hand. "No, I'm fine. I was just wondering if... he's ok" asked Sona, lowering her hand and setting both of them on her lap.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who _he_ was. Sona had come to like Anthony, he was a great guy, and it tore her heart to hear he was... relapsing, we'll say. She didn't know the details, but had noticed his persona had changed as she walked down the halls and noticed him. He'd normally flick his chin in her direction with a smile... it was something Americans' do apparently, as a quick way of saying "hello" or "what's up". Once she picked up on it, she'd bow gently as that was Japanese custom. While she wasn't a Great Lady like Akeno and Rias, boys still gave her enough attention for her to technically be classified as one, so you could imagine the jealous stares the duo had gotten. However, HE'D usually do the greeting first; but when she initiated it herself, several times in fact... he didn't return the gesture.

"He's fine, just... parental issues" Rias explained, but being vague about it. "Oh, I see... Give him my condolences" said Sona, who knew about the Raynare situation... that's what Rias meant, right? "Of course, I'm sure he appreciates it... just don't tell your boyfriend, Saji" joked Rias... why did Sona flush for a quick second? "He's not my boyfriend, and I'm not interested in Anthony like that" claimed Sona, her face normal again. "I don't know. He WAS the first person to beat you in chess" said Rias as-a-matter-of-factly. "Heh. He only won the game... not my heart" Sona denied with a chuckle. "Although... he missed the Rating Game. That doesn't seem like him at all" she continued.

"He's going through allot right now... I wish I could help him" said Rias. "A way through an Italians heart is through their stomach" said Sona, half-joking and half-serious. "Asia and I already tried that, it barely did anything" said Rias, making Sona feel like an idiot. Rias and Asia actually surprised Anthony one night by making dinner themselves while dressed in tight aporns. While he thanked them for a good meal, he was still emotionless about it. "Did you try anything else?" The Council Head asked. "We went to a vacant island a couple of days ago for a small getaway. He said the States had amazing beaches, so we figured it'd cheer him up" said Rias. "How did that go?" Asked Sona. "Well..." Began Rias, recalling the memory...

-FLASHBACK-

_2 days ago..._

(**AN:** Mind you, DxD specials were never dubbed, and I couldn't find any that were subbed without the video getting spammed with ads every 30 seconds and opening up new pages. So I had to figure out what was said and going on the whole time on a version, WITHOUT subtitles... you'd better appreciate the work I do for you guys.)

_In a flash from the Gremory magic circle, the ORC appeared before a beautiful island. Best part, it was uninhabited, meaning they had it ALL to themselves! While Koneko was the only one to go through the circle in her actual swimsuit, which was a white one piece with a red pair of googles and a pink inner tube, the other 3 girls wore clothes over theirs. Asia was wearing a green zipper shirt that brought out her eye color, and had an light-orange sunhat on top of her head. Rias wore a faded pink button-down shirt, though only used one button to at least cover up her breasts and the top half of her violet skimpy bikini. Akeno only had on a white T-shirt, and __Kiba wore a green speedo. Anthony opted to wear normal trunks in the color of red._

_ It's not that Anthony was ashamed of what he had... he was just not willing to show it. If he was in his normal state of mind however, he would've joked that the girls: 'wouldn't have stood a chance'. Heck, Koneko tried busting his chops about it, asking if those trunks were to impress Rias or show his love for Ddraig... but the Italian didn't respond with a snappy comeback like the duo usually do. __Not that she'd admit it, but it felt odd to Koneko not getting a response back._

_Being the only boys of the group; Kiba and Anthony carried the umbrellas, towels, etc., and began to set them up. While they were doing that; Rias, Akeno and Asia began to take off their shirts to reveal what they chose to wear for the day. Asia unzipped herself to show a blue swimsuit that didn't conceal her stomach, but it was still fairly innocent. Rias' was in a V-sling and Akeno, of course, had the skimpiest one of them all. It only covered her nipples with a pair of green triangles... both that and the bottom part left NOTHING to the imagination._

_It was fun. They had water fights and even played a game of volleyball, though it didn't appear Anthony was having much of a good time, only doing all of this just to distract himself from what was bothering him. Rias saw this, and pondered what she could do... then, a light bulb appeared over her head. She had an idea, but needed to wait till she and Anthony were by themselves..._

_About maybe a half hour later, Rias was sunbathing next to an umbrella Anthony was under, he was just looking out into the open water. While the redheads eyes were closed, she was only pretending to be unaware, and she noticed Anthony just stare aimlessly with a blank expression. Looking back and forth with her eyes, the others were off doing their own things: Kiba was swinging a branch he found, one that actually looked like it could be a sword (if Rias paid further attention, she would have noticed an odd glint of anger in his eyes); Koneko was eating an ice cream cone that Akeno poofed into existence; and Asia was drawing Crosses in the sand with a small stick, as she couldn't do much else that's considered Holy without Ddraig's arm shielding her (poor girl must've still missed her time in the church)._

_With everyone else occupied, now was her chance!_

_Putting on a seductive face, she arose from her spot and sat up, looking at Anthony. "Anthony, could you do me a favor?" She asked. "Certo... what's up?" Asked Anthony, looking at her. And since he'd become accustomed to, what he called, her wiles face; combined with his not-so-happy mood... the effects she was trying to instill into him weren't working as well as they should. "Would you mind rubbing oil on me?" She asked, still retaining her wiles face._

_THAT got a reaction out of him. "__Scu... sami?" Anthony asked, stuttering over the Italian word for 'excuse me'. He did not just hear her ask what he thought she asked, did she? "I need a dragons touch... you don't mind, do you?" Asked Rias, batting her eyes now that she had Anthony's undivided attention. She was also holding out an egg-shaped container, which was probably the oil Rias was talking about. When did she use oil? Now that Anthony thought about it, her skin did always feel silky smooth against his own..._

_*SLAP!*_

_He mentally slapped himself, then shook those thoughts away. Either her wiles face was starting to take affect, or Ddraig was imagining things again... **[Can't blame me this time]** he said in Anthony's head, making it clear he had no hormonal thoughts at the moment. Rias watched him carefully, looking for any sign of the Pawn she knew. If Anthony wasn't in this funk, she knew for a fact he'd flirt back with something along the lines of: "These hands... you sure you can handle them?"_

_Disappointingly, he only gave a half-hearted: "yeah, fine". It was a shame, but Rias dealt with it. Maybe their normal chemistry will start to mix again once he starts rubbing her. She laid down on her stomach, awaiting for Anthony to start his job..._

_SLIP! SLIP, SLIP, SLIP!_

_Like a wet bar of soap, once Anthony opened the container, he had trouble getting a good grip. He started to juggle it a few times, but it ultimately fell all over Anthony's front. He dropped the container on Rias' back but when he tried to pick it up, he slid on her, causing the redhead to yelp out in surprise. She tried getting up, but that only caused Anthony to fall right on top of her. "GAH! I'M SOR...!" Anthony tried to apologize, as he also tried to get up, but the slippery oil made him instead slide his hand up into the V-sling; making Rias moan at the unexpected intrusion. The more they struggled, the more they slid around and the more sand got over them and the blanket they were on, the blanket also getting messed up due their moments. Eventually as fate would have it, Anthony's face ended up in-between Rias' honkers._

_In his defense, at least he wasn't motor-boobying her._

_"IS THIS TANNING OIL OR A FUCKING LUBRICANT?!" Anthony yelled out, both in anger and embarrassment. It also didn't help that the rest of the ORC tried to untangle them. First Asia ran over, suffering the same fate as Anthony and Rias. Akeno was next, who summoned water to wash off the oil. While it got rid of the sand, it didn't matter because the water made the situation worse when she attempted to help her fellow classmates up, the sand also sticking back to their bodies as they thrashed around. Koneko looked to the group, then back at her ice cream a few times before making the decision to wolf it down, ignoring the brain freeze."Touch me..." the mascot began to warn. "Yeah, yeah; whatever! Just get us out of this!" Said Anthony, but even the kids firm Rook-enhanced grip stood no chance against the slippery prowess of Rias' tanning oil._

_Thankfully, Koneko never got 'touched'._

_Kiba stopped what he was doing and looked over. All it took was a bit of Sword Birth, summoning not sharp and non-lethal swords, and moving the group apart from each other by manipulating the swords along the ground to separate each individual. Without another word, Anthony walked over to the ocean and washed off ALL the sand and oil, not coming out until he was sand and oil-free... which was also in places he didn't even know he had! Walking back out of the ocean, he sat under his umbrella with folded arms, not moving anymore._

_ Needless to say, the beach date had come to an end early._

-END FLASHBACK-

"It... didn't work out" said Rias with a small blush, remembering _everything_ that happened that day. "Well, what else does he like?" Asked Sona. "Why? So you could ask him out yourself?" Rias joked, though Sona just stared at the redhead sternly. Rias didn't notice it but again, red spots appeared on her friends/rivals cheeks. "He likes Video Games and Reading, but those are more of a single person endeavor" said Rias, both girls unaware that Video Games were also multiplayer. "What about sports?" Asked Sona. "He played volleyball with us, and he once mentioned he played soccer when he was younger, though his favorite is dodgeball and..." said Rias, then her eyes widened as she looked at Sona, who smiled. That's it!

-TIME BREAK-

_The next day..._

"SMETTILA DI TOGLIREMI VESTITI!" Anthony yelled, getting out of Rias' grip. He was called on his phone by Rias to come to the clubhouse after school. He came... but that's when she began trying to take his shirt off. Anthony of course, froze when she started; but then recovered and got her out of his space.** [Can't hold yourself back anymore; can you, Miss Gremory?]** Joked Ddraig. "Well, I have been kinda lonely for the past week" said Rias, also joining the joke... though it wasn't untrue either. She missed spending nights with Anthony, but refrained herself out of respect. "Ugh... I'm sorry Rias, I'm just..." Anthony began to explain, but Rias cut him off. "Don't worry about it. Here, put these on" she said, tossing Anthony a plain T-shirt and gym shorts, which landed on his face. It was actually the schools gym uniform.

Seeing as Rias had _seen him_ before, he had no trouble changing right in front of her, as the clothes she tossed him didn't require him to remove his underwear. While he changed, she opened a magic circle which was used for teleportation to a dimensional space. "Remind me why we're going into a dimensional space, again?" Asked Anthony, pulling the shirt over his head and straightening it out, not fully understanding what was going on. He thought dimensional spaces were ONLY for Rating Games or official matches in the Underworld, so why was there a portal to one in the middle of the clubhouse? And furthermore, why was Rias wearing the same outfit when she and him trained back in Season 1?

"It's a surprise" said Rias. "I'm really... not in the mood for anymore..." said Anthony, thinking of the last _surprise_ he got during the previous chapter. Rias just grabbed his hand and pulled him into the circle with herself. "It'll be fun, you'll see!" She said optimistically, as the light from the circle blinded both of them. Suddenly, the 2 friends were in the gym... and outside was aurora, indicating this wasn't the same gym from school, but a copy of it. Kiba and Koneko were tossing a ball back and forth, and...

"MY LEGS ARE ON FUOCO!" Cried out the voice of Asia. She was currently being pushed down lightly by Akeno, it was an exercise to stretch out leg muscles. "Just a little more, you can do it... think of how impressed Anthony will be" said Akeno, also throwing in some incentive for Asia to continue. "Your not getting off on that, are you?!" Asked Anthony, taking a step forward, knowing how Akeno gets her kicks. "Heheh, only if its you... come on, girlfriend; you got this!" Said Akeno, looking up and answering Anthony's question, then looked back down at Asia.

Anthony didn't notice since Rias was behind him, but her optimistic face turned sour upon Akeno's answer.

"OK!... I'LL... TRY...!" Asia cried out some more, the thoughts of impressing her now-present childhood friend more than enough of a reason. Akeno pushed the young blond a little further, causing her to moan out, using muscles she hadn't used before.**_ [Ya know, my former master had dreams like this...]_** said Ddraig._ 'Yeah? What about them?'_ Asked Anthony. **_[They were allot more steamy...]_** said Ddraig, sounding like he was getting into 'the mood' again. A visual of Asia and Akeno naked in bed together appeared in Anthony's mind from Ddraig. Sighing, "KONEKO! Can you come here for a minute?" Anthony called Koneko over.

As soon as she caught Kiba's ball, she tossed it back and walked over to the Italian. "What?" She asked. "Can you twist my arm for me?" Anthony said, holding out his left arm in front of her face. "Excuse me?/**[Huh?]**" Asked both the mascot and inner dragon. They both sounded confused at the odd request with Koneko raising an eyebrow, and the latter also sounding nervous. "Just... make it quick" Anthony said, starting to squeak while looking away, but gave Koneko the 'ok' before he changed his mind... for obvious reasons. **[W-W-WAIT A SECOND! I-I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO FANTASIZE ABOUT THEM, I...!]** Ddraig desperately tried to apologize, but his mistake was saying the word _fantasize_ before Koneko.

She grabbed Anthony's/Ddraig's arm quickly with both hands, and a shot of the gymnasium is shown before...

SCRUNCH!

"EEEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!/**[GAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!]**"

"Alright, Gremory. Ready to rock and..." Sona had just teleported her and her entire Peerage into the dimensional space, and shock was present on each members' face... what had they just waltzed in on? "_*long whine*_... just dacci un minuto" squeaked Anthony through the pain, his eyes closed shut... did human arms twist that far?

-TIME BREAK-

WHISTLE!

Someone blew a whistle, signalling the game to begin. The game would last 10 minutes, and the team with the most outs (AKA: points), would be declares the winner. Each team was standing on opposite sides of the court, and a line of balls were neatly aligned in the middle. As soon as they heard that whistle, each side ran to get their hands on a ball first. One of Sona's Rooks, a girl with blue hair; had manged to get one and threw it, aiming at Koneko. She ducked from it and since the ball didn't actually hit her, she was still in the game and prevented the Sitris' from scoring... though the force behind the throw ripped her shirt in half.

Huh... didn't that happen once before?

Sona's Queen, Tsubaki Shinra; the girl who had glasses like Sona, also got ahold of a ball. Unlike the Rook however, she enhanced the shot with magic, her target was Rias. The redhead went to catch it, but the magic infused with it made it halt in midair... then sent it sideways to Anthony instead! "MERDA!" He yelped. Having no choice, he held out his hands. Miraculously, he caught it, which caused the Gremorys' to get their first point... though his shirt was shredded a bit as a result. Rias looked at him in worry, in case he was injured or getting mad again, but saw a small smirk form on his face. There he was... there was the Anthony she knew, appearing to finally resurface.

"Wow, catching Tsubaki's spike head-on is impressive... for a human, anyway" said Sona, saying 'human' as a a friendly taunt. This was all part of her's and Rias' plan to get Anthony back to his old self, so she was poking at his competitive side. "You think my catching is good?... Wait till ya see my pitching!" Said Anthony, tossing the ball back with as much force as he could without magically enhancing it; though he used the arm him and Ddraig shared, meaning it was more powerful than a normal throw. Sona's eyes widened and was forced to duck... Saji behind her wasn't so lucky, and got hit in the face.

Needless to say, he was out in more ways than one.

At the same time, a ball flew past Anthony and barreled towards Rias, from the same Rook that attempted to get Koneko out. To no one's surprise, Rias caught it and got the Rook out instead, though her clothes also tore up a bit from the impact. "Oh shit..." Anthony started getting a little nervous upon seeing the look in Rias' eyes... it reminded him of what happened last time, when she and Sona had their 'friendly contest' to get Familiars. "Remember Sona, we're Gremorys'; that's just how we ROLL!" Said Rias, tossing the ball. Her target was the other King.

She didn't power it up with magic... at least, not at first. As the ball flew, Rias' eyes glowed red, infusing her Destruction Magic with the ball, turning it into a deadly meteor of crimson fire!

Sona wasn't stupid enough to try and catch _that_, so she leaned to the side. The ball flew past her and while it missed, the right sleeve of her shirt was completely burned up. One of her Knights that were behind her however... her clothes disappeared entirely. That caused an eruption of almost EVERYONE using magic to enhance their throws. Some balls went all over the gym; others disintegrated; and even some flew out of windows, shattering them, and the balls themselves zoomed into the dimensional space never to return.

"I had no idea dodgeball was so dangerous!" Cried Asia. "HA! If you can dodge magic, you can dodge a ball!" Said Anthony. "Huh?" She asked. "Oh yeah, my coach used to throw wrenches and shit at us back in middle school, it was fun!" Said Anthony. Asia had no idea if Anthony was making a joke or if he was serious, she was just focusing on trying to stay alive! A ball was heading for her, making the nun cry out, but all it took to stop it was Anthony's left hand.

His smirk got even wider, so much so that the Sitris' saw it. "Well... if your all using magic..." said Anthony.

FLASH! **[BOOST!]**

The Boosted Gear was summoned, making the Sitris' concerned. "MIGHT AS WELL!" Said Anthony, tossing the ball so hard, that the opposing team saw no choice but to evade. It went THROUGH the back wall, making a perfect circle through it. They all looked back at it with unease, their faces showing from inside the gym. A ball then bounced over to Anthony. He picked it up, and the gears in his head started turning. "HEY, KONEKO!" He called, as the petite freshman avoided another ball. She looked in his direction, wondering why he called her.

**[BOOST!]**

"Pull back..." Anthony started, throwing ball to her. She was confused but as it flew toward her, she smiled. "Beat the meat" she said, striking the ball with her fist. It rocketed to the Sitris' side of the field, taking 3 girls with it and they flew backwards while pressed against each other. "Nice!" Said Anthony, giving Koneko a thumbs-up. She didn't expect it, but returned it with a smile and a thumbs-up of her own. One of Sona's Bishops, Reya Kusaka, tried hitting Anthony while he was distracted by this. "Heads up, hot stuff!" Said Akeno, leaping over Anthony with spread legs and catching the sneak attack before it hit him.

Anthony and Ddraig saw her bra because of this, but they weren't gonna say anything.

After Akeno landed, she went to throw the ball back as she charged it with lightning magic; **[Miss Himejima!]** Called Ddraig but before Akeno could turn around, she felt an arm on her shoulder, surprising her. **[TRANSFER!]** Akeno then felt warm energy fill inside her from an external force. She turned her neck to see Ddraig's arm on her shoulder and of course, Anthony right behind her. "Clear..." Was all he said. Smiling at him, she turned back around and... "SHOCK!" She threw the ball. Sparks flew around it, and it started to turn green due to the extra power offered by Ddraig.

Saij, who had just recovered from earlier, lit up like a Christmas tree. **[Patient's stable]** said Ddraig. "YEAH!" Said Akeno, Ddraig and Anthony in unison; as all 3 shared a High-Five (since Anthony used Ddraig's arm to initiate it). Rias couldn't help but smile at Anthony's mannerisms now. He was back... the Italian Dragon was back!

Sona had enough at this point, it was time to fight back and avenge her fallen comrades! "Ruruko!" Said Sona, calling to one of her Pawns to toss her the ball. The Pawn in question was actually about to throw it, but since this was a magic-ball battle now, her King had allot more power than she did. With a ball now in hand, it was Sona's turn to deal some damage to the Gremorys'! "HERE COMES THE PAIN!" Yelled Sona, as she flared her own power with the symbol of Sitri magic behind her.

Her target was Anthony. She was thinking strategically... if she can take him out, then they wouldn't have to worry about him Boosting the rest of the Gremorys' anymore. Anthony just held out his hands, intent on catching the magically-charged ball of death barreling straight for him. "Bring it, Sylvia Marpole! I'll take whatever you dish out!" Said Anthony, his hands in a defensive stance to protect his torso, where the ball appeared to go.

Where it ended up _going_...

PONG!

Anthony's confident face drained to anguish, and fell to the ground while holding a _certain area_. Everyone just stared, not expecting this to happen and of course, feeling sorry for the poor bastard. Sona felt the worst. She didn't mean 'here comes the pain' literally... nor was she aiming for _that_! **[Our... baked beans...]** said Ddraig, also sounding like he was in pain. "... um... does that count as a point, or a miss?" Asked a white-haired girl, Momo Hanakai, who was keeping score the whole time with a pair of flags. Like everyone else, she felt bad for the kid. Rias and Sona looked at each other for a quick second, and looked at Momo to answer her. Before they could say that it DID NOT count as a point...

"No... she got'em..." croaked Anthony, clutching the area in question, while shaking his head back and forth once.

Asia kneeled down to where Anthony was on the floor, her rings of Twilight Healing out. "I can use my Twilight Healing, but you need to tell me where it hurts" offered Asia. That caused Anthony to sit up quickly, though he still looked to be in agonizing pain. "Oh, no; no thanks, Asia. Stiamo bene" he said, still holding the affected area, looking mortally embarrassed. "But your in pain, maybe I should... take a quick look" said Asia, innocently and worried about Anthony. She started to crawl over to where he was holding himself, and leaned down to remove his hands. She also had a faint blush on her cheeks, remembering what Kiryuu said about... his sword.

Anthony then found the strength to stand, but still held his pained area. "S-S-S-SERIOUSLY, ASIA! I-I-I-IT'S OK! I'M PERFECTLY FINE!" Insisted Anthony, though it was obvious even to Asia he was lying. **[Uh, yeah... d-don't worry about it... W-We dragons heal fast, anyway]** said Ddraig, sounding as uneasy as Anthony did. "E-E-Exactly!" Said Anthony, letting go of his 'beans'. "There, see? No injuries here! We'll just walk it off, heheheheh..." He continued, power-walking back and forth... clearly still in pain, and fighting the urge to grab _them_ again.

Hey... at least he was TRYING to make it seem legit.

GRAB!

**Koneko:** Sit down.

Against his will, Koneko grabbed Anthony's/Ddraig's arm and forced him to sit down by holding him. "Ok, Asia. Do your thing" said Koneko. Not needing any further provocation, Asia held her hand over Anthony's pants over the affected area. She had to get close to it though, but she pushed those thoughts aside to focus on making Anthony feel better. After a few minutes of doing it, "How does that feel?" Asked Asia, her hand hovering mere inches over Anthony's riches.

Awkward... that was the word. Anthony wanted to say that, but Ddraig beat him to the punch and answered for him. **[Warm and tingly, to be perfectly honest]** said the Red Dragon. He still sounded in pain, though not as much as before. "So its working?" Asked Asia, relived her treatment was working. Plus since Ddraig felt better, that meant so did Anthony, right? She wasn't sure if that's how it worked since she didn't share a body with another being, but it made sense to her. **[Yeah... something like that]** said Ddraig, answering before Anthony again.

"Are you both seriously getting a chub right now?" Asked Koneko, thinking that's what Ddraig was implying. "If I am, it's a medical condition, leave me alone" said Anthony, not in the mood to deal with Koneko right now for a multitude of reasons. "You can sit this one out, Anthony. We'll..." Rias began, but Anthony cut her off. "NO!... I'll be fine in a minute. I missed one game already, I'm not gonna miss another" said Anthony, which made Rias happy. He truly was coming back... "Take care of him, Asia. Until he's ready: lets get out there, and kick some Sitri-Butt! For Anthony and Ddraig!" Proclaimed Rias, turning to her remaining team once she was done talking to their Twilight Healer. "Yeah! And their Man-Bits!" Said Akeno, making a fist. "For their Twig and Berries!" Said Kiba. "For their shared Junk Mail" said Koneko.

Anthony just sweatdropped, wearing an awkward smile. **[Uh... thanks?]** Said Ddraig, unsure whether to take the ORC's words of encouragement seriously or not.

-TIME BREAK-

8 minutes had passed... to be exact, 7 minutes and 45 seconds; meaning the game would end in another 2 minutes, give or take. Both sides were currently tied with scores of 78 points each. The whistle blew once again, signalling another round. Throughout the game however, Kiba appeared to be distracted. He got hit many times even before Anthony went to Twilight Timeout, and even his speed seemed sluggish... well, not exactly sluggish per se. Kiba was still as fast as he always was, but it appeared whatever was on his mind effected his timing and momentum; and Rias couldn't figure out why. Maybe he was worried about Anthony since he was the second boy in ORC after... _he_... was sealed up, and had someone to bond with who was the same gender?... Perhaps.

Sona, the master strategist she was, saw Kibas' behavior and while it was out-of-character for him; she used it to her advantage. Having her team focus on him, she was able to raise her score exponentially. She even used her magic to home-in on the Gremory Knight like a heat-seeking missile... also taking care of WHERE she aims this time. The score was now 81 to 88... the Gremorys' were losing! Rias had grabbed a ball, but that's when the whistle blew again. "TIME'S UP! THAT'S GAME!" Called out Momo.

The Sitris' were cheering for their victory when...

"Technically, we still have one minute left" said the voice of Anthony, now fully recovered. "Um... no, that was 10 minutes" said Momo, kindly. "Did you take into account my... injury" said Anthony. Momo looked back to a chart she was keeping; which kept track of the scores, when someone called for a timeout (which no one did anyway), halftime break... wait. The timeouts... was that the loophole he was gonna...? "Neither side called an official timeout for that full minute. Therefore, that SHOULD have been game time" said Anthony, doing exactly what she predicted.

"You just can't admit when you get a loss, can you?" Asked Saji with a deadpanned expression. "Your sister was quite impressed with the loss I gave her earlier" smirked Anthony. This joke once again made Kiba and Koneko try to hold back a smile, and made Akeno snort... even a few of the Sitris' minus Sona. Saji's head turned red, his fists clutching as he held them up like fists, and steam came out of his nose. He didn't charge over to try and beat up the stronger Pawn, as he knew better than to act on his own. Last time he did that, he was punished with a thousand spankings from Sona herself!

Rias held her mouth closed at Anthony's remark, forcing back the laugh that threatened to echo throughout the gym if she didn't. If she had any doubts about him not being his full self again... its DEFINITELY gone now.

Sona, who liked things fair and was head of Student Council for this reason, could see reason in Anthony's statement. Speaking of Council, she actually had some business to take care of, and only made enough time for this game. It was visible in her face, she was conflicted... though it might have also been guilt upon slamming Anthony's toolbox with a magic-leavened ball. Anthony saw this, and got an idea. He walked out on the Gremorys' side. "We play the full minute, just me and your team" he said, picking up one of the balls and spinning it on his finger. "Hit me once, game over. How's that sound?" He continued.

Sona smiled. "8 Devils... against one human?" She asked. "Yea, it's totally fair" said Anthony with confidence, implying it was SONA who needed the reinforcements and not him. "You do realize this isn't a board game you can win by a single play?" Sona asked, the camera in her eye as she was referencing the last time Anthony pulled this stunt. "Do you?" Anthony returned, camera in his eye as well. After a short staring contest, Sona closed her eyes with a smirk on her face. "Sitris'... take the field" said Sona, as her team returned to their positions.

With the terms agreed to, Rias and the rest of the ORC was forced to exit and leave Anthony alone. Sure he beat Sona before, but that was one-on-one... THIS was eight-on-one! The ORC didn't doubt Anthony, they just hoped he knew what he was doing. At least with this, they could confirm without a doubt he was back in full swing.

The balls were once again aligned and the whistle blew... but neither side moved. "... What's the hold up?" _Asked_ Anthony with a grin and hands behind his back. "I could ask you the same thing... aren't you gonna grab a ball and at least get ONE extra point?" Sona returned, matching Anthony's tone. "Aren't you?... Unless the Semi-Great Lady, Sona Sitri is afraid?" Anthony taunted. Normally, Sona would take the challenge from anyone that tested her, human or otherwise. It was just her competitive side. However, Anthony was NOT a normal human by any means. He was the Red; or as he called himself; the Italian Dragon. And he was able to outsmart not only her once before, but also Riser and Rias. He was up to something... but what?

After a few more seconds of waiting and the tension building on who'd make the first move, Sona bolted for a ball. Her team followed suit... yet, Anthony didn't move a muscle. He just kept standing there almost like a sea sponge under a lamppost, his grin still present. Not knowing what he was up to, Sona charged and her team their balls toward the humanoid dragon. At the last second, like Rias did earlier, Sona filled them with magic using her eyes, the same magic used on Kiba. If Anthony was planning to dodge all of them, this would make it impossible.

The balls rocketed towards Anthony...!

...

...

...

...

They stopped, floating in midair around him, stopped by Gremory magic circles. The Sitris' were confused, but that's when Anthony brought his arms back around. His Boosted Gear was our again... AND had a magic circle on it, the same one used to stop the balls. "Thanks Miss Marpole, my magical range still isn't the best" said Anthony, and it was at this point Sona realized she... once again... fell for his trap. She knew he wasn't the best when it came to magic, only able to do things like summon his Familiar or teleport like 3 feet.

In short, he basically fooled her into doing half work for him. But still, what could he do at this point? There was only 40 seconds left on the clock and... hold on. 40 seconds... that meant 2 sets of ten seconds passed, and his Gear had been behind his back... so that means...

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony's third Boost rang out. "Alright. I think it's time for my own magic move" said Anthony, which now got a few girls on the Sitri side to hug themselves, chest area specifically. They already seen the 'carnage' he could cause, so they wanted to be prepared. They were aware it wasn't technically Anthony of course, but still...

Wait... wouldn't using Ddraig's Dress Break just shred the balls themselves? What sense did that make?

At Anthony's declaration, the ORC looked at him in surprise. What was he gonna pull this time? He couldn't be infusing the balls with Dress Break, right? That would just cause the balls to destroy themselves. It wasn't like charging them up with fire, water, or lighting; Dress Break was a physical type of magic... NOT an elemental one. Rias and the gang didn't know what those two were up too, but it better be good because they only had just about 30 seconds left! "Ok, Ddraig... LET'EM HAVE IT!" Said Anthony, holding his Gear out with an open palm.

...

...

...

**[Do I HAVE to say it?]** Asked Ddraig, with a groan. "Uh yeah, that's kinda how this magic stuff works" said Anthony.** [Couldn't you have named it something cooler?] **Asked Ddraig. "What's wrong with name I gave it?" Asked Anthony.

**[Because it sounds like something a 10-year-old would come up with.]**

"I've been working on it for weeks! I created it, so I name it!"

**[But it sounds ridiculous!]**

"Not as ridiculous as your Special Move..."

**[For the last time, I DIDN'T MAKE IT! I have better spells than that one!]**

"Then why not show me?"

**[Their too powerful for your body to currently handle, so their sealed away for your safety.]**

"And Dress Breaks not...?"

**[ITS NOT MY SPELL!]**

"THEN USE MINE!"

**[YOU DONT EVEN HAVE MEAT FOR IT, IT MAKES NO SENSE!]**

"I GOT BALLS, ITS CLOSE ENOUGH!"

**[ITS A STUPID SPELL THAT HAS NO USE IN BATTLE!]**

"JUST USE THE SPELL, QUETZAL!"

**[Ugggggh...] **Ddraig groaned, but still gave into his master's instructions. From the circles holding the Sitris' balls came... red sauce? This sauce covered the balls completely, some bits of it dripping to the floor. **[****MEAT-EOR BALL SHOWER!]** Said Ddraig and with that, the circles holding the Sitris' balls rocketed back to their throwers. And since they still retained the magic infused with them before, they homed in on their targets giving them no way of dodging.

SPLAT! (8x)

Each hit caused sauce to splatter and stain the plain white shirts the Sitris' wore. The sauce was also uncooked, meaning it was extremely cold; which caused the sauce to quickly soak into the shirts and cling to their owners, showing off... stuff. "Now that's an appetizer" Anthony grinned.

As soon as he said that, Momo had announced that the minute was over. The Gremorys' got an additional 8 points added to their score...

Sitri Team: 88

Gremory Team: 89

"G-G, Sona; G-G" said Anthony, saying aloud a texting abbreviation for 'good game'. Asia was the first to run over to Anthony to hug him in congratulations. Akeno was next, though she snuck up from behind and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Rias, Koneko and Kiba just walked up normally; the Knight giving Anthony a pat on the back. "That was amazing! You are the best Pawn _ever_!" Said Rias, hugging Anthony from the front... making sure to use her curves to emphasize her gratitude. Asia bit her lip and whined at this, though it appeared Akeno didn't care. "I do my bust. Er, best" said Anthony, fully aware of what Rias was doing and making fun of it. Rias was so happy on the inside... he was back... Goddammit, he was finally back!

"As much as hate to admit it, I concede defeat... but it was still fun. Of course, if this was a Rating Game instead of us fooling around..." said Sona, accepting her loss, but she was cut of by... "Bullshit" said Anthony with a smile. **[If I recall correctly, you got a stalemate with Miss Gremory. Now, if her BEST pieces would have been present...]** said Ddraig. He cut himself off, but it was clear what he was implying. "Is that so?" Sona responded. "If me and Ddraig were there, we'd clean your clocks like my kitchen" said Anthony.

"Well, since you weren't there, I guess we'll never know for sure, will we?" Asked Sona. "I've done my homework, Miss Yomiko Readman... Rating Games CAN have rematches" said Anthony. "And you think you can beat me in one?" Asked Sona, a grin forming on her face. "Appena Fatto" Anthony said, cockily. Sona just smirked back at Anthony, locking eyes with each other. "... then I suppose we'll have to actually play another Game" she said. "I suppose we should..." Anthony said, matching Sona's tone.

Sona began to take her leave with the rest of her Peerage, but then turned back around when, "Wait" Anthony called out to the rival King. "... thanks... for the game" he said, softly. Sona and Rias knew what he truly meant by that, it was thanks for the game itself... AND what it did for him. "Don't thank me yet... can't have Rias' best piece down in the dumps the next time when we beat her" said Sona. "You really think so? You never know what could happen" Said Rias, hanging off of Anthony's side. "... Right... you never know... better keep your guard up then, Rias" Sona said, now walking away and leaving the dimension through her families magic circle.

* * *

Originally, Rias also got a Boost from Ddraig during the game, but I took it out last minute because I think it was too much. She, Ddraig and Anthony had bonded enough for now... gotta give the others a chance too, right? Plus, Ddraig also got a bit of screen time in the game as well, I always wondered if he felt pain whenever Issei did something stupid or when he got hit by an attack. We rarely get to see Ddraig's reactions to certain things as he's "asleep" most of the time, so I figured: _why the hell not, let's give it a shot and see if it works out_.

Also, I hope you appreciate the number of references in this chapter alone. There's like at least 6 of them; from multiple properties... you better appreciate the work I do for you guys...

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Smettila di Togliermi Vestiti:** means "stop pulling my clothes off"

2) **Fuoco:** means "fire"

3) **Dacci un Minuto:** means "give us a minute"

4) **Certo:** means "sure" or "of course"

5)** Stiamo Bene:** means "we're fine" or "we're okay"

6) **Appena Fatto:** means "I just did"


	29. Chapter 29

Now before we start, there's 2 VERY IMPORTANT events in this chapter. First, it has an experimental scene between Rias and Anthony. Its a few paragraphs down, and I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you what it is. If you liked it, PLEASE tell me if you did, even if your a Visitor/Guest/Anonymous user. I wanna give you guys some REEEEEEEEAL good stuff, so I need to know if you approve. A simple 'yes' will do on Discord, a review, or a PM.

The second one, is some additional lore I think you'll enjoy. It's about Raynare and her motives for wanting Anthony's/Issei's [and then later Asia's] power. In the manga and anime; its only stated that she wanted power for herself, and quite a few writers have provided some kind of backstory for it... or have her change her mind to add her to the harem, one author even did an evil twin scenario...

Nothing wrong with either of those things. But me personally, I'm gonna try something a little different for her backstory, one that I personally haven't seen yet. Now, does that mean she'll return for the fic? I can't say... she's dead anyway, right? Lets answer some reviews, then we can join Anthony on the latest adventure:

1) **Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov **(Season 1 - Chapter 1)**:** As discussed in our PMs', thank you for this piece criticism and I will use it to improve. If anyone else sees something, don't hesitate to point it out and share concerns. I want this story to be the best it can possibly be, so even a little snippet of exposition helps.

2) **Robert Walker1** (Season 1 - Chapter 5)**:** No... at least, I don't think so. I'm flattered you like Anthony more than Issei... to any Issei fans, that's not me saying Issei is a bad character. He's just an idiot, denser than a brick; and I'm a sucker for idiotic/dense characters. In fact, one has been running around with a rat on his shoulder since the 90's...

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 5: Dealing with the Past**

It was now evening... that game lasted longer than Anthony thought. Right as he and the ORC left the dimensional space and reappeared back in the clubhouse, the Italians phone started dinging. It was his ringtone for incoming text messages. Reaching into his pants pocket (which was left behind on the floor since Rias pulled him into the dimensional gymnasium), he pulled out the cellular device. Looking at the screen, he froze and stared at it. While the group did look at Anthony and would've asked what was wrong, Rias beat them too it. "Anthony? What's... oh..." she asked, seeing her favorite pieces facial expression and looking at the phones screen with him.

The contact information of the message read: Lezaza.

The message didn't say much, just asked Anthony: "meet me at the canal?" Rias didn't know how Anthony would take this, that Fallen Asshole had nerve to ask her Pawn for something, especially now! She just got him back, so how was Anthony gonna respond? He didn't do anything, just stared at the screen as if waiting for the phone itself to give him an answer. After another minute of staring, he held the phone down (still in his hand), and picked up his clothes off the floor without a word.

Rias was worried... was he relapsing?

"I'll be right back, there's... something... I have to do" was all the Italian said before leaving. It didn't sound like he was down in the dumps anymore, but what exactly was he doing? Rias left the room and manged to catch Anthony just as he was about to leave out of the main door; grabbing his hand softly, yet firmly. Anthony turned to see Rias holding him back, he had an emotionless face. "Anthony... you," Rias didn't get to finish her sentence, because Anthony smiled at her. It was the same type of smile he gave her the day they first met, and it made her heart skip a beat. "It's ok, Ri. Just a lose end to tie up" said Anthony, using the nickname he'd given her, making her heart skip 2 beats this time.

He gently returned a squeeze to the hand she was holding, assuring her he was alright. He then pulled her arm gently and pulled the Devil herself into a hug, making her freeze entirely because she didn't expect it. The same feels that when he first hugged her started resurfacing, then she remembered _Lezaza's_ words before he vanished: _'The reason I had Raynare go after Anthony... wasn't just his Gear. There's something... different about him'_.

What was this difference exactly? She had no answer, but was brought out of her trace by Anthony's voice. "Thanks for worrying about me, and getting my lazy ass back on track..." he began, then hugged her a little tighter, her chest squeezing against his so closely, she felt the beat of his heart against her own. "I COULD just kiss you..." Anthony continued in her ear, his breath ticking her skin. The normally ragging Devil had no response ready for this at all, and just tensed up. Anthony then pulled away and ended the hug, though his hands were still on her upper arms near her shoulders. "But... you couldn't handle it" Anthony said with a smirk.

It was official. The Italian Dragon... HER Italian Dragon... was back, and was never going away again. Figuring she might as well join in, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And why is that?" She asked, interlocking her fingers. "Trust me; if **I** initiated a kiss... all that would remain is that Alfalfa-shit on your head" Anthony joked, making Rias' mouth open in the shape of a perfect 'O' with widened eyes. "Oh-ho really?" She said... then pulled his neck a little, making the distance between them shrink. "Then why not prove it?" She challenged, and they continued back and forth.

"Maybe I will."

"So you want to push me down? Attack a defenseless, young Devil?"

"I'm not _that_ cruel, there's just allot of splinters in wood floors."

"You can splinter me _anytime_."

"It'll be rough."

"I like it rough."

"You can handle the pain?"

"I'll handle _allot_ more than that."

Both friends had gotten an inch closer with every sentence they spoke until their foreheads were touching. While that happened, Anthony's hands had found their way to Rias' waist. Anthony tightened his grip, earning a small gasp from Rias, but she continued to remain locked to Anthony's eyes. "... maybe some other time" Anthony smiled, letting go of the buxom woman in front of him. She also released his neck. "I'm glad your back" said Rias wearing a small, yet VERY bright smile on her face. He had returned full-force... and NO-ONE... will EVER take him away from her. "Me too" Anthony smiled back, resuming his original task of leaving the clubhouse.

Rias watched him go until the door closed behind him, yet still looked in its direction even after it shut. She eventually turned, going back to the others of the ORC. Outside... **_[You know damn well you could've stolen 2 bases just now, and she wouldn't have cared]_** said Ddraig . Anthony heard him, but never responded... he just kept walking, with a smile.

-TIME BREAK-

Lezaza... *ahem*, Azazel. Was sitting under a bridge near a canal. This was one of his hobbies, and Anthony loved joining him when he was a kid; and they fished in this exact spot all the time when it was dark out so the fish wouldn't be scared by the ongoing traffic above that occurred during the day. They rarely had time anymore since Anthony had started attending High School and gotten his own place to live, so the Fallen Angel had no choice but to spend the time by himself.

He heard someone approaching and looked over... and was quite surprised to see Anthony standing there. "You using that rod, estraneo?" Anthony asked, pointing to an unused fishing rod that Azazel brought out of habit. Even though he lied to Anthony for the past 3 years of his life, that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the time they spent together. To Azazel, Anthony was basically the son he never had.

Anthony took the extra rod... the Fallen One had no words. He didn't expect Anthony to answer his message, let alone come out here. Once Anthony tossed out the line and the bobber started floating, he took a seat next to his foster father. "... so, what'cha wanna talk about?" Anthony asked after a few seconds of silence. "Uh... yeah. Listen, Anthony. I had no idea about Raynare's... infatuation with me" Azazel said. "You didn't?" Anthony asked, though still paying attention to his fishing line.

"No, though she was always a loyal follower. Her orders were strictly to watch over you, and to only intervene if something should happen to you" said Azazel. "So technically, she was hired to be a guardian angel?" Asked Anthony. "In a way, yes. She always did her job right, but would always claim there was nothing to report on you. I told her to just stick with it, she'll see what I was talking about" said Azazel. "How were you so sure?" Asked Anthony, beginning to reel in his line, thinking he felt a bite. "Well... to be honest, Anthony... I was there..." said Azazel, and that made Anthony freeze with sightly widened eyes for a second. "The day your Sacred Gear first awakened..." admitted Azazel.

-FLASHBACK-

_Azazel, in his human form (NOT his Lezaza form), was walking through the halls of the hospital. He was here on business but as he began to walk past a certain room, and a green flash of energy came from inside. Curious, the Fallen One looked inside to see a tiny boy, held by his parents... with a red object on his arm._

**_[BOOST!]_**

_The room once again lit up, forcing the 2 parents and the Fallen One to shield their eyes. The mom, since she was holding the baby, shut her eyes tightly and looked away. The father and Azazel, used their arms to block their faces from the rays of green light. Once the light died down however, the red object had disappeared. The parents stared at each other, silently questioning what they saw, but Azazel already knew. That was a Sacred Gear!_

-END FLASHBACK-

"From that day, I KNEW you had one; I just didn't know which. I could also tell that, while whatever you had was undeniably powerful, it wasn't exactly awake yet" said Azazel. "Yeah. Ddraig told me and the others about it. My first official use was punching the teeth out of this bully, Scott Astaroth... hated that guy" said Anthony, throwing his line back once he saw nothing but the worm still on the hook. He didn't notice, but Azazel tensed up at that name.

"Yo! Ya got a bite!" Called Anthony, as Azazel wasn't paying attention to his fishing line. By the time he reeled it in, the fish and the bait were gone, which Anthony laughed at. "So, you knew about my Sacred Gear since day one?" Asked Anthony. "I study them, actually. The history of them and how their made; even made a few of my own" said Azazel, putting a new worm on his hook and tossing it back in the water. "So your basically a supernatural Emmett Brown?" Anthony asked. "All I'm missing is the car" Azazel joked.

"Its odd, though. Raynare was never interested in Sacred Gear or power... she was one of my few followers with 4 wings. She claimed she felt powerful enough, and was satisfied with her rank" said Azazel and now that he mentioned it, Anthony remembered Raynare said something like that before he snapped and beat her to a pulp... literally. "Really?... Guess you never really know a person" said Anthony. "I suppose... it was so random too. One day, she just waltzed in and asked me all about Sacred Gears, and then..." Azazel was saying, but stopped himself.

He didn't need to finish though, for it was obvious that's when he let it slip that Sacred Gears will awaken with powerful emotions... and that's when Raynare thought it'd be a great idea to 'bring the house down'.

"So then you fired her; then watched over me yourself?" Asked Anthony, referring to the fact that Azazel popped into his life when he came to Japan. Based on the information Anthony was given, it was clear that the Fallen Angel watched Anthony in Raynare's place after she was removed from the picture, which is also why he took him in under the guise of Lezaza. "I did. At first, it was because I felt responsible but after... raising you," Azazel began, this his voice began to soften, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I felt horrible. I took a family away from the best kid in the world... and it ate at me. I wanted to tell you the truth, to get it off my chest; I really did... But I was scared. I didn't... want you too look at me like... I was some kind of monster. I should've suspected something was up, I never should've trusted Raynare! I...!" Azazel said, gripping his fishing rod tighter, and that made it shake in his hand.. He also had his eyes shut tightly, trying to prevent more tears from leaking out of his face.

"It's ok" came Anthony's voice, snapping Azazel out of it. "I don't... blame you. I mean yeah, I'm a upset" said Anthony. **[But... if what your saying is true... then it wasn't your fault]** said Ddraig, making Azazel's eyes widen a bit with how understanding Anthony and Ddraig were being. "She went against orders, right? She also acted on her own years later, tracking me down like those crazy ex-girlfriends on The Hub" said Anthony, reeling in his line to reveal he had caught a fish. Quickly summoning Ddraig's arm; he used the claws it came with to easily grip the fish, get its lip off the hook, and toss it back nonchalantly; dismissing the dragon arm when he was done.

**[You were just doing what you loved, discovering secrets to power... no malicious intent, just simple curiosity]** said Ddraig. "And besides, its like you said: you could've easily killed me yourself. Hell, you had plenty of opportunities while I was living under your roof" Anthony continued, resupplying the bait and recasting the fishing line back into the canal. "Fact is, you raised me; help me understand this new society... your like my second father" said Anthony, then looked up at Azazel next to him. "And I love ya for it, Zays" the Italian finished.

Azazel wanted to hug Anthony at that last sentence. He forgave him... for everything he's done. "... Thanks you, Anthony; that... means allot" said Azazel. A few seconds later, Anthony's phone rang. It was Rias' contact information this time. "Yellow?" Asked Anthony, answering the call. "Sorry to call... but there's another Stray" said Rias. "It's cool, I'll be there in a minute" said Anthony. "And is... everything ok?" Rias asked, her voice softening. Anthony glanced at Azazel before answering: "All taken care of."

"Alright, see ya when you get here" said Rias, cheering up as it sounded like Anthony was fine. "Arrivederci" said Anthony, hanging up. "Duty calls" he smiled at Azazel. "Go get'em, Dragon" said Azazel. Anthony reeled in the fishing rod and set it down. Before getting up though, he held out his left hand. Understanding, Azazel grabbed it firmly. After they let go, Anthony headed off to return to the ORC, with Azazel smiling as Anthony left.

-TIME BREAK-

At an abandoned site, their was a factory that looked to be about 40 years old. Moss was growing along the walls, signs that you had to put letters in were busted, and gates were rusted and bent. "No one can miss the smell of a rouge Devil" said Koneko. "No kidding, its disgusting" said Akeno. "So whats this one do? Shoot shit outta its ass?" Asked Anthony, remembering the first Stray he fought, which wasn't pretty. "We're not sure of its powers, but since its in Gremory territory, we've been asked to take it out" said Rias, explain what was going on.

"Aw, but I'm behind on rent! AND I got 2 mouths to feed!" Said Anthony. Rias smiled at the indirect joke he made. "Alright, here's the game plan. Asia, you take the rear with me and Akeno. Kiba, Koneko and Anthony and Ddraig will go in and draw the enemy out; so me and Akeno can take care of it" said Rias. "Yes, ma'am" said Asia. "Sounds got to me" said Akeno. "Got it" said Koneko. **[Suuuuuuure; let US do the work, and the 'Great Ladies' deliver the final blow]** said Ddraig, clearly making a joke himself.

"Well, me and Rias just got our nails done" said Akeno, showing off her fingers to the light on Anthony's hand and adding to the joke. Her nails looked no different, but still...

**[Oh no! We CAN'T have you breaking them, can we?]** Ddraig answered, sarcastically. "Well dragon nails grow as quickly as shark teeth, right? Boosting Time!" Said Anthony, summoning the Boosted Gear. He and Koneko began to run off inside the building, but that's when Anthony and Rias noticed Kiba hadn't moved a muscle. He was just staring down at the ground, almost like he was angry about something. "Kiba?" Asked Rias, but her voice didn't reach him. It was also at this point, the rest of the ORC noticed his expression as well.

"YO! PRINCE CHARMING! Ya coming or what?" Asked Anthony, and that seemed to get Kiba's attention. "Yeah, sorry; I'm ready" said Kiba, joining Anthony and Koneko. Rias watched on... what was up with Kiba? First the dodgeball game, and now this?

The pretty-boy Knight, mascot Rook and Dragon Pawn got up to the door... a large metal door... it was tightly shut, of course. Anthony knocked in it twice with 2 knuckles. "Hmm, another locked door... Koneko? Your the expert, right? Mind picking the lock?" He joked. Koneko just stared at him, with her usual expression, unblinking.

...

...

...

BANG!

"GAAAH-HAHA!"

CRASH!

The doors flew open, coming off their hinges... with Anthony's body going with them. He landed on the floor on top of the doors. **[She has good punch lines, doesn't she?]** Said Ddraig. "Go back to sleep, Smaug" said Anthony, holding a side of himself and getting up. Koneko just walked past him, Anthony followed her upon finally recovering, and Kiba brought up the rear... he still looked out of it though. "You guys have advanced Devil Night-Vision, right? Can you direct me, because...?" Anthony was asking.

BANG!

He walked right into a pillar. "Ugh... that was on purpose" Anthony insisted, holding his entire face with both hands and walking quicker to catch up. His eyes did eventually adjust though, he was able to see Koneko and Kiba, and some light from the moon did come through the windows above which made things a little easier. **[You walked right into that one]** said Ddraig. "I liked it better when I couldn't hear you" Anthony muttered.** [I heard...]** said Ddraig, but stopped midway.

"Ddraig? You alright?" Asked Anthony. **[...Its near... surely you feel it as well, Miss Toujou?]** Warned Ddraig, sensing the enemy nearby. "Hm... its close" Koneko nodded, confirming what Ddraig was saying. Hearing whining, the group saw a seemingly human woman in the back behind some machinery. "... she's nuda, of course she is" said Anthony. This girl looked beautiful, having snow-white skin and silver hair, both of which seemed to sparkle in the moonlight... maybe she was brought here as a snack?

She appeared to be holding herself up by a large pipe, because when she tried to stand up, she fell from her position. "Ma'am? Are you...?" Anthony asked, wondering if the woman was hurt.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!"

Right before Anthony's eyes, the woman began to change. Her ears extended outward, becoming pointy like a elf; and above her head sprouted 6 horns (3 on each side) with a 7th one growing out of the center of her forehead, bigger than the rest. Her body had begun to take the shape of a six-armed spider, with 2 sets of arms popping out of her waist. This included her lower body, which had bloated up into whats called a spinneret. While her legs (extra 2 included) looked very spider-like, her actual arms had giant hands with 3 claws on them.

But what REALLY freaked Anthony out, was that her eye balls were HUGE! You could barely see the whites of them!

The giant spider monster before the group jumped up on the ceiling, but they couldn't see her in the darkness. They DID hear her feet against the metal as she crawled... though the fact that they were fighting in an almost pitch-black factory wasn't helping the situation either.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out where the demon would strike from. He happened to see Kiba... why was he looking down? "Kiba? Kiba, you watching this thing? I'm not as fast as you, dude" said Anthony, but Kiba didn't respond... he just kept looking down. The monster saw a chance to strike, and crawling over Kiba, she shot some webbing at him. "Kiba, move!" Said Koneko, pushing the Knight out of the line of fire just in time... though she was struck instead.

**[BOOST!]**

Kiba was now back in the game, and picked up his sword that he dropped when Koneko saved him. He also saw that Koneko's shirt near the shoulder had a hole in it, the skin in that spot appearing to be burnt. Anthony stared at this, processing what he just saw. He looked up at the ceiling where the spider demon was crawling away, looked down at Koneko, and all he had to say was: "... I totally fucking called it."

While Koneko wasn't her intended target, the Stray figured she'd make the most of it and swung down to strike the freshman with one of her giant claws. Anthony saw this and on instinct, ran over. _'Promotion - Knight!'_ Anthony changed his status, and with that change, he flew over to Koneko and got ahold of her just seconds before Stray did.

**[BOOST!]**

With her target gone, the Stray continued to swing, but before she vanished into the darkness again... "Yeah, kept swinging, Jessica Drew!" Said Anthony, firing a Dragon Shot at her. It hit the Stray right in the center of her back, and the extra force from that made the silk to snap, causing her to crash into some machinery with a painful-sounding screech. "You ok?" Anthony asked the Rook, kneeling down to the spot he put her down and gently examined the wound on her arm. In his embrace, Koneko immediately felt safe, but shook it off. "I'm fine" she said, getting out of his hold.

Bending metal stopped the duo from conversing, for the Stray had recovered and was now lunging at Anthony, intent on making him pay. As she closed in, Anthony noticed a long pipe on the ground. He picked it up, perhaps wanting to use it was a weapon. The Stray ended up in front of him, but stopped because Anthony was holding the pipe over his head with both hands.

**Stray Devil:** _(cocks head)_ *Scree?*

**Anthony:** YOOOOOOU... SHALL NOOOOOOOT...!

SMACK!

**Anthony:** _(flies through the air after getting backhanded)_ Mother...!

CRASH!

The poor Italian ended up crashing on an old conveyor belt, breaking it. "Why... perché non ha funzionato?" Asked Anthony, recovering from both the failure and the smack-away, questioning as to how come that plan failed. Some old guy used to to save a group from a monster... **[That ONLY works, on bridges]** said Ddraig, speaking over the 'Boost' of the Gear, sounding like he had a claw on his face after face-clawing himself.

Kiba darted past the Stray Devil, slicing one of her main arms clean off and making the Stray screech in pain. As he landed, he failed to notice a pipe running along the floor, and lost his balance as he slid into it and making himself fall over and drop his sword. Seeing her chance, and also kinda pissed about losing an arm, the Stray pounced on Kiba with red-raged eyes. She lifted the Knight up, and just when she was about to take a bite of his pretty face, Anthony shot her in eye with a Dragon Shot.

She screeched in pain, and looked in the offenders direction... though the eye that was shot was now gone. "Hey! Hands off my man!" Anthony punned. The Stray, still holding Kiba, went over to Anthony. Once she approached him, she smelled something she didn't detect before. "Humaaaaaaaaaan..." she said, her mouth now watering. Apparently like Viser beforehand, the taste of humans was something she enjoyed. "Yeah. Haven't you seen, oh sorry" Anthony punned again.

**[BOOST!]**

The Stray chose to ignore that remark. "You reek of fear... my favorite favor..." said the Stray, which of course contrasted the persona she had in her human form, showing the monster she truly was. Anthony cocked an eyebrow at her statement, and took two whiffs from under one of his arms. "Oof, that's not fear. Trust me on this" he said. With that, the Stray tossed Kiba aside and went for Anthony instead. Since he was currently a Knight, he was able to avoid the lunge.

When the Stray tried moving again however, Koneko was shown holding her back by one of her legs. She tried lifting the spider demon, but it didn't work so she had to back off quickly to avoid a giant arm crashing down on her. Great, this Stray was more powerful than the last one. Maybe she should... no. She can't. Not after what happened.

**[BOOST!]**

"What's up with Koneko? That spider silk poisonous or something?" Asked Anthony. **[Hardly. She's holding back. She needs to use her full strength against a creature such as this]** said Ddraig, and that got Anthony surprised. Koneko, the one who hurt him... sometimes on a daily basis... was holding back? That didn't sound like her at all. "What are ya talking about? She always goes full out!" Said Anthony. **[Always? Please. She's been holding back since day one! She's got more than that, and she knows it. She can EASILY squash this bitch like the bug she is but for whatever reason, Miss Toujou is simply refusing to do it]** said Ddraig, which surprised Anthony more.

Ddraig could sense this kind of stuff, so Anthony had no reason to believe the dragon was lying. But Koneko, the little fighter she was... it didn't make sense. If she DID have this power, why wasn't she using it?

With Kiba still recovering after being thrown into a large pipe, it was only her and Anthony left to fight this demon. Said opponent was squirting out more silk in an attempt to subdue the Rook or trying to crush her under her large hands, but either by luck or lack of aim since one of her eyes were gone, the Stray kept missing. Koneko tried kicking the demons legs or lifting them again, but they wouldn't give no matter how hard she struck. **[Well at this rate, the kitty's gonna run out of lives. We'll have to lend her some milk]** said Ddraig, confusing his host.

"Er, cosa?" Asked Anthony. He got what Ddraig was saying... except the kitty part... did his pet dragon have a furry fetish or something? **[We're GOING, to Transfer to her!]** Said Ddraig, sounding annoyed. "I figured that much! But whats this 'kitty' stuff you keep blabbing about?" Asked Anthony, making Ddraig groan. **[Your the one who started it in the first place. You mean to tell me you really have, NO IDEA, of what she really is?]** Asked Ddraig. "What she really...? Yeah, she's a Devil" said Anthony, thinking that was what Ddraig was trying to say.

The dragon groaned once again.

**[Just drop it, you'll learn eventually]** he said, not wanting to discus this anymore. With nothing else, Anthony booked it to Koneko and grabbed her tiny body. "HEY! LET GO OF..." she was saying, getting defensive. **[TRANSFER!]** Said the Boosted Gear, lending the feisty kid its strength. Koneko felt stronger than before, but questioned why. She wasn't using that power so... oh yeah, Transfer. That was one of Ddraig's abilities. She calmed down, though couldn't get over the tingly feeling in her body. Was this how Akeno felt when Ddraig and Anthony boosted her?

Not picking up on the power increase, the Stray Devil went to squash Koneko again... only for her tiny hand to EFFORTLESSLY block her own. Her large eyes widened, but before she could pull away, Koneko's other tiny hand grabbed the same one she was holding. "Down came the rain..." Anthony sang. "And threw the spider out" said Koneko in her natural tone. Spinning the larger Devil once, Koneko then released her hold and the spider demon flew out the windows, glass shattering everywhere.

The girls outside were surprised, not expecting the Stray to launch out of the factory; but Akeno did her part and zapped the overgrown arthropod as if it got caught in a bug zapper. The Stray was weakened severely, and didn't have enough energy to even stand. "Checkmate; wanton Devil. You ran away from your master, just to fulfill your own desires. In the name of the house of Gremory, you shall pay with your life! Now BEGONE!" Said Rias, announcing the Stray Devils crime. With that, she summoned her Destruction Magic, and blasted the Stray to oblivion.

Once that was done; Anthony, Koneko and Kiba exited the building. As soon as they did, Asia approached. "Are you all ok? Any of you need healing?" Asked Asia kindly. "Yes please" said Koneko, and Asia went straight to work. Kiba actually walked to the side and leaned on the factory wall, going back to his thoughts. "What exactly happened in there, Koneko? You guys took longer than expected" Rias observed as Asia was healing the freshman. "The bitch was a little stronger than she looked. If it wasn't for Anthony and Ddraig Boosting me, I don't think I could've threw her out like I did" Koneko admitted.

"And Kiba?" Rias bluntly asked, and it was at that point Koneko looked away. She was no tattletale. "Anthony?" The redhead turned her attention to Anthony, with the some tone. Since Koneko obviously wasn't gonna talk, even though something did happen back there, Rias figured Anthony would be willing to share. "Uh, nothing of consequence. We got the job done and..." Anthony stalled, seeing Rias was pissed about something. "Anthony... What. Happened?" Rias repeated, more sternly this time.

Anthony wasn't scared of Rias per se; but he WAS scared of what a similar blast of Destruction Magic would do to him. Still though, he felt bad telling on a fellow chess piece like a 3rd grader. "Well, uh... he was a little out at first, but..." Anthony tried to give Kiba some kind of defense against the redheads wrath, but Rias then got right in his face... and it wasn't flirtatious this time. "I don't like repeating myself" she warned, and the glow of her magic in her eyes was all the proof Anthony needed to know she WAS NOT kidding.

**_[I HIGHLY recommend you spill the beans, before she incinerates the can]_** Ddraig said. He might be a dragon, but even he knows the fury of a woman scorned is NOT to be trifled with! "... bene" the Italian squeaked. "He was distracted. Koneko had to take a blow for him, then I jumped in to protect her. He got a little sloppy and got caught by Miss Spider for a tea party, so Ddraig and I had to Transfer some extra power for Koneko to finish the job" and that's all Anthony got TOO say as Rias walked over to where Kiba was standing and...

SMACK!

The sharp sound of a slap made everyone pause. Rias had just slapped Kiba with enough force to not only turn his head, but also leave a nice red mark.

"Feeling better now?" Rias rhetorically asked the Knight in a rigid tone. "If I didn't send Anthony in there with you, you both could've been killed! Whatever funk you were in also could've put the rest of us in danger!" Rias continued. Kiba just simply moved his head slowly back to look at Rias in the eye, almost robotically. "I apologize. It won't happen again" said Kiba, emotionlessly. It was at this point Rias held Kiba gently by his shoulders.

"What's the matter with you lately, Kiba? This isn't like you at all" said Rias, her mode switching from _Devil Master_ to _Concerned Mother_. "I'm perfectly fine, just an off couple of days. I didn't realize it would affect my performance" said Kiba, then he bowed. "I accept full responsibly... now if you'll excuse me" With that, Kiba left the group. Anthony however, ran after him.

Now that Kiba was alone for a moment, he pulled out a picture from his pocket. It was the picture of Anthony and this Irina chick, with the sword in the background. "Kiba! YO KIBA!" Came the voice of Anthony, making the Knight stuff the picture back in his pocket... he didn't realize he missed the hole...

"AH! There you are. What was that all about, dude? Being the asshole's my job" Anthony said, managing to catch the Knight just before he was off the property. "Its not your concern" said Kiba, not turning back to face Anthony. "BULLSHIT! We're a family, bro! If there's something bothering you, you can bet your pretty ass I'll do everything in my power to help you!" Said Anthony. "Why would you be worried for a Devil like me? After all... we Devils are selfish beings" Kiba with an empty chuckle.

"Well I'm not, and neither are the Gremorys'! So whats the issue, man? Is it school? Work? Family? Cause lord knows I have experience in all those departments!" Said Anthony. **[Whatever's wrong, Mister Kiba; you should know we're both here for you. Egg-Brothers always stick together, no matter how far the other flies!]** Ddraig said, voicing his own opinion. "I appreciate the concern guys, I really do... but this Egg-Brother has another purpose than just serving Rias, and its something he has to do alone" said Kiba.

"NON LO FAI! Kiba! If it wasn't for you, Akeno, Koneko and Asia; I NEVER would've been able to save Rias from Pheasant-Man. Come on! Let me help you this time!" Insisted Anthony, taking a step forward to Kiba, but Kiba brought out his wings along with a flare of his power... which wasn't much, but still enough to get Anthony to recoil and back off. "You can't. I must be one to destroy Excalibur, no one else!" Said Kiba, his emotions accidentally letting slip what he was worked up about. With that, he jumped in the air and flew off.

"KIBA WAIT, I...!" Anthony called to him.

Scrunch.

"What the...?" Anthony looked down, noticing he stepped on something. It was a picture... a strangely familiar picture.** [Isn't that a photo of you and Irina?]** Asked Ddraig as Anthony bent down to pick the photo up and give it a closer look. "... why did Kiba have this? And isn't Excalibur only a myth?" Questioned Anthony.

-TIME BREAK-

Later when the other ORC members returned to their homes, Anthony had brought up to Rias what he heard Kiba mention before flying off. Rias was currently sitting on a chair at a small desk, looking down at the photo Anthony showed her. "Kiba said something about Excalibur, which us in the human world have been debating about for YEARS. He had this photo of me and Irina from my old house, he must have dropped it as he flew off" said Anthony. Rias looked intently at the picture in question with a finger in her chin.

"... there's no doubt about it. That is an Excalibur" said Rias. "Wait, _an_...? You mean there's more?!" Asked Anthony, shocked and amazed. The legend of King Arthur and his legendary sword was quite the story, and there was SOME evidence out there that suggested it might be true; but it was circumstantial evidence mostly. His dad, the collector he was; said something about the sword splitting, but never went into much detail about it.

**[7 to be precise]** said Ddraig, joining the conversation as the 2 devils and human looked at the green light on Anthony's hand. **[What the stories DON'T tell you, is the fact that Arthur himself broke the sword on purpose during the Battle of Camlann. Many kingdoms were after the swords power, for it wasn't just a Holy Sword, but he has even slain a few dragons with it] **Ddraig explained. "Oh... so that's why you tensed up" said Anthony.

**[Of course; fearing what would happen if the wrong person or kingdom got ahold of it, Arthur destroyed the sword right in front of his enemies' face; leaving him defenseless... but with this sacrifice, the original sword was lost, and has not been recovered since]** Ddraig continued. "Ok, so the hunka metals been destroyed for thousands of years, whys Kiba so worked up about it still?" Asked Anthony.

Actually, if the stories didn't tell people that the sword DID in fact split... then, how did Mister Messuri know?

Rias leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs as she did so. "That would be true... if it wasn't remade by the church" she said with a serious look on her face. "REMADE?!" Asked Anthony, stunned a this piece of information. "The church must've kept it secret, cause we never heard anything about it!" Said Asia. "I wouldn't think so. It was called the Holy Sword Project, and it was terminated years ago because it was deemed a failure" said Rias. "Wait... if it was remade successfully, then why was it a failure?" Asked Anthony.

**[Use your brain. Why do you think only Arthur himself could remove it from the stone?]** Asked Ddraig, trying not to sound annoyed at his partners lack of knowledge. "Uh... destiny?" Guessed Anthony, with a slow shrug and nervous smile.

Ddraig sounded like he was about to yell, but calmed down last second.** [NNNNNN... well... yes _and_ no. Merlin of course; planned it would happen, but the REAL reason was because only a small handful of beings could wield Excalibur, without destroying themselves in the process. Much like our Balance Breaker at your current level, using the sword for too long would drain a persons life force if they didn't have the proper aura... and they would die]** said Ddraig.

"Right. The swords biggest weakness was only a select few could move it, so the church figured what if they raised people artificially? They took young kids since they had tons of energy, but like I said; it didn't work and the project was scrapped... they even killed 'failed' subjects, claiming it was their _duty_ as children of God" said Rias, with venom in her voice. She of course, got a small pain in her head upon saying His name, but ignored it.

Anthony and Asia just processed that last sentence. "... fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, and we called you Devils" Anthony said. Asia was stunned. While she was banished as easily as Anthony was, she had no idea the church was capable of basically murdering innocents just for the sake of power. "So... Kiba was involved somehow?" Asked Anthony, using the context clues of Rias' wording along with Kiba's attitude. Rias looked in Anthony's direction, her eyes hardened at what she was about to say:

"Involved? He was the only survivor."

That statement got a least a minute and a half of silence. **[That explains it then. While others see that story as an icon of hope and fighting for freedom... our Egg-Brother sees it as betrayal and destruction]** said Ddraig. "And luckily for us; the number people even able to _hold_ Excalibur, even a small piece, is extremely rare... Would you happen to know what happened to this sword, Anthony?" Asked Rias, tapping the picture of the sword. "Uh, yeah. My father sold it to her dad, they were both collectors... why do you ask?" Anthony said, then asked a question of his own.

She changed the subject with a smile on her face. "Oh, look at the time. Its so late. We should get to bed" she said (even though she wasn't looking at the time at all), looking up at Anthony and getting up from the chair... looking down to start unbuttoning her uniform. Both Anthony and Asia blushed at Rias' actions, Asia more-so since this was the first time she saw a fellow female WILLINGLY strip. "RI! WHATAYA DOING?" Anthony yelped. "Oh, don't play dumb. You know I can't sleep unless I'm completely naked" said Rias, unzipping and slipping off the skirt of her clothes and letting her underwear show.

Anthony mentally groaned... he knew THAT much!

"I _mean_, why are you doing it now? Can't you wait till Asia and I leave the room?" Asked Anthony, though it was a dumb question as Rias had gotten undressed in front of Anthony multiple times before. He mostly asked this because of Asia's earlier reaction to seeing Rias in bed with him. Rias looked at him with an expression that read: _really, you have to ask?_. "Exactly. She's going in her room, and I'm obviously sleeping with you, silly" the redhead devil answered with no shame in her voice or face.

"Then I'm getting changed too! I'm sleeping with Anthony!" Said Asia, not wanting to be outdone by the sexy redheaded devil. She quickly undid her own uniform so she was right were Rias was at. She gasped once her skirt fell, not believing she was really doing this, but there was no way she was gonna lose to Rias! With 2 girls now naked in his room, Anthony yelped, not knowing how to deal with this... they still had their undies on, but it wasn't helping the situation.

"Um, excuse me? I called dibs on him first, so he's mine! Fair is fair!" Said Rias, hands on her hips.

Anthony did a double take. "... dibs?..." He repeated. That sounded like something a child would say when they didn't get their way. What were they, four?

"Well, its not fair you hog him all for yourself. I think I should have a chance with Anthony too" said Asia, her blush was somewhat gone but still noticeable.

"Really? You think he'd sleep with you?" Rias taunted, walking up to Asia while accidentally knocking Anthony into the chair. "Actually, yes! We did before, and it was fun!" Said Asia, mentioning the time she and Anthony did in fact spent a night together when they were younger, BEFORE Rias was ever in the picture. "Heh, fun? I hate to break it to you, but his... tastes, have changed since then" Rias taunted again, folding her arms under her breasts to emphasize her 'points'.

Anthony could only watch as 2 females fought over him, this had never happened to him bef... well, it did; but that was when he, Asia and Irina were kids. Seeing this made his ego inflate, but he was aware if he didn't stop this, something bad might happen... the last thing he needed was Destruction Magic shooting out of his apartment room and scaring the rest of the tenets. "Anthony doesn't care about that! He's always treated me like a princess, regardless of my size!" Said Asia, which was true. Size wasn't a factor to Anthony.

Then again... Rias wasn't wrong either.

**_[While this is flattering and all, I think we should defuse these bombs before they go off]_** said Ddraig. Before Anthony could, the conversation between the 2 devil girls reached its climax. "So if it comes down to it, your willing to let him fill the incubator?" Rias asked and due to hanging out with Kiryuu, Asia had an idea of what that _could_ mean. "I... I haven't thought about that, but I'm willing to try!" Said Asia. "Fine. Then I think Anthony should make it clear who he prefers" said Rias. "Wait, what?!" Asked Anthony. "I agree, that's fair. Its up to you then, Anthony. Me or Rias, who will you choose?" Asked Asia.

"C-C-C-Choose? W-W-W-What do ya mean, choose?" Anthony stuttered, but was stopped completely by both females getting right in his face... their boobs to be precise. While Rias was large in size, Asia wasn't lacking either; but to choose one of them... that'd cause problems. Seeing as they basically demanded an answer, he'd better choose one quickly, so he laid out his opinions:

Opinion 1: Rias

_Positives: It was a good choice as any. She had excellent curves, along with beautiful features. Bonus - she was a hugger._

_Negatives: He might be accidentally smothered to death, and if not, Asia will get jealous and might decide not to heal him the next time he gets severely injured. _

Opinion 2: Asia

_Positives: While not as curvy as Rias; she still had a nice figure, snow-white skin and an enchanting aura of innocence. Bonus - she was a snuggler (at least, when Anthony first slept with her)._

_Negatives: It was awkward, for reasons scattered around the fanfic. Though she was FAR from a bad choice, Rias might decide to declare Anthony a Stray and hunt him down personally... *shudder* He could already feel the Destruction Magic burning his skin._

Opinion 3: Neither

_... _

_Somehow... he sensed that'll do more harm than good. _

While he was thinking, the girls had thoughts if their own. _'You KNOW you love sleeping with me... don't make me wait, Anthony...'_ Rias thought. _'I... I can do this, Anthony... just, be gentle with me...'_ thought Asia. Now because Anthony took too long to respond, the 2 Devils locked eyes with each other, and took it upon themselves to make the decision for him... by each pulling an arm while he was in the chair. Poor boy was moaning in each direction he was pulled.

**Asia**: I KNEW ANTHONY FIRST! I LIVED WITH HIM YEARS BEFORE YOU EVEN KNEW HE EXISTED!

**Rias**: YEAH, YOU'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT, SO WHATS ONE MORE DAY?! LET GO!

**Asia**: NO WAY! IT'S MY... TURN!

**Rias**: YOUR TURN? YOU HAD 8 YEARS OF TURNS!

**Asia**: I WASN'T ALLOWED TO, BUT NOW I CAN!

**Rias**: AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?! HE'S MOVED ON TO LIKE BIGGER AND BETTER!

**Asia**: YOUR CHEST MIGHT BE BIGGER THAN MINE, BUT NOT AS BIG AS MY HEART!

Now mind you; this chair was made of plastic, and did not have any wheels on the feet. So the friction of them pulling it back-and-forth on the title floor, combined with Anthony's weight and the force of 2 jealous roommates eventually...

SNAP! CRASH!

**Both Girls**: AAAAAAAAAHH!

Rias and Asia ended up sitting on top of Anthony due to anime physics. Anthony groaned and began to open his eyes... above him, one of his sports trophies wobbled on the shelf above his desk... "Momma..." was all Anthony said with dilated eyes, as the trophy fell on top of his head, blacking him out. Both girls sitting on him looked back, hearing the sound; and seeing their actions had caused Anthony to get sense knocked out of him, rather than having a pleasurable night.

Ddraig had a closing statement for them: **[Neither of you get incubated now.]**

* * *

Added a little more history to the Sword of Kings. I feel DxD could've done so much more with that thing. I also had Ddraig give some of the backstory since I feel it makes more sense for an X-thousand-or-so year old dragon to tell part of it, rather than a 16-year-old Devil telling the entire thing. Rias is canonically a teen, not like her mother who changed her appearance with magic, so I don't think the redhead is gonna know EVERYTHING.

Proof of this is: she had no idea God in this universe had died, nor did she know the full capabilities of the Boosted Gear. While she knew it doubles power every 10 seconds, she DID NOT know about the Juggernaut Drive or what it did until Vali explained it to her... at least, in the anime; as I still have not read the novels.

Not much else to really say, I just hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see ya next time!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Estraneo**: means "stranger"

2) **Arrivederci**: means "see you later", "see you soon", "see ya" or "goodbye"

3) **Nuda**: means "naked"

4) **Perché Non Ha Funzionato**: means "why didn't it work?"

5) **Cosa**: means "what"

6)** Non lo Fai**: means "no you don't"


	30. Chapter 30

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 2020, WOOT WOOOOT! For my New Years Resolution, I'm going to start reading the light novels of DxD. Worse case scenario should the anime series just end. I'm having a bit of trouble finding free versions of it online so if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

The wiki only helps so much.

Secondly; I wanna address this 'plagiarized work' a few of you have screamed at me starting the 5th of December last year. Apparently some guy named Hareta Kuso copied my work and is passing it off as his and another guys own. While I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I gave the second author of that fic permission. In fact; I've even given some ideas to one of the authors, talked about the storyboard, and even refined a chapter for them.

So don't worry, there is no WW3 (Writers War 3) breaking out. They used my work as a stepping stone, which I have no problem with as long as they asked first, which they did. Their fic has done pretty well, they got about 26 follows for it at the time of posting this. Again, thanks letting me know, but there was nothing to worry about.

Now back to MY fic, I've listened to allot of criticism, and I thank you guys for that; it'll make the story THAT much better as time goes on. But one that I didn't understand was this "Gary Stu" bit some of you were saying, and I'm thinking to myself: _what is that? Some anime shipping I'm unaware of?! GODDAMMIT!_

After doing extensive research on it, I discovered its a fanfic term for guy characters, contrasting "Mary Sue" ones. From what I could find, I agree... to an extent. While I admit Anthony fits this term in certain instances, most of the things he does falls into a gray area. Let me explain:

1) Being an unbeatable Badass/Physical Perfection:

_Yes, Anthony has shown to be a tough guy (be it his dialogue or actions), but certainly not unbeatable by any means. There have been times he's shown to have some vulnerabilities. When he first fought Raynare, sure he dodged for a bit, but still almost died due to shock of the situation and Raynare stabbing him in the heart._

_Another example is when he fought Raynare while protecting Asia. Even if he did have fighting experience (as he dealt with bullies ganging up on him), he was still no match for the more experienced Raynare. He only won his 3rd round with her when he lost control because Raynare revealed she was the only who killed his parents... wouldn't that set you off too? When someone you love is taken away?_

_And sure he exercises, but that doesn't automatically mean he's a Gary Stu. He's not overly-muscular either, he just likes to be in top condition. It's a choice he made, just like it was his choice to try and finally promote to a Queen with hard work (which no DxD fic has done). Furthermore, if he WAS a Gary Stu... wouldn't he have been able to promote to Queen instantly, and beat Riser and Raynare on his first try? Heck, if you wanna go that far, why didn't he just automatically activate and control Juggernaut Drive which even Vali can't control for very long?_

_To me, THAT is what a Gary Stu is based on my research. It's someone who keeps getting better without any sort of buildup. __I think I did a pretty decent job; not the best by far, but my personal best._

2) Instant Relationships/Perfect Person:

_Now I will say Anthony and Rias got a quick start, that I DO agree with. But as shown later on, its because she sensed something different about him. At first, she thought it was the Boosted Gear, but Azazel confirmed there was something more. All I will say about that, is its NOT because of Ddraig's presence like in canon... while that does play a factor, its not the only reason either._

_Rias and Anthony have teased each other sure, but that's just their personalities clashing, like Koneko's and Anthony's in which the little mascot is always hurting him in some way because she currently can't stand him (__which has been praised by both fans of my work and __critics alike). Asia and Irina knew him years prior to the start of the series, Kiba and Koneko are currently getting developed to appreciate Anthony more, and Akeno's... well, Akeno._

_As for Anthony being perfect, he has been shown to lash out when angered or when a friend is threatened, and he wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details about his parents until AFTER Raynare was dealt with. He even gave the set of keys he had to Azazel, the only item he had left of his former life, just so he wouldn't have to deal with what they represent. Plus, the only interaction he's had with people since then was through work and his neighbor Pesca. He only started High School recently, meaning he hasn't exactly been around kids his age for a LONG time._

_Also, he worked at a Wal-Mart, so..._

Again, I agree with some people that Anthony acts in this term sometimes; but I don't think he's a full-on "Gary Stu" either... more like just a "Gary", if that makes any sense. On top of it all, he's only my second major OC and I joined the site like what; 4 years ago? I'm still learning, and the feedback like this is really appreciated. Thanks so much for the support, but lets rejoin Anthony were he left off.

This chapter delves more into the lore, and may (or may not) answer some questions that I left unanswered in the previous season. Enjoy!

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 6: Crazy Dreams**

Anthony found himself in a black void of some kind. He was able to walk around, but had no idea as to how he got here. The last thing he remembered was something falling on his face...

"Where am I?"

FLASH!

Anthony shielded his eyes with one hand covering his face due to a sudden flash of light. "Ugh! The hell...?" As his eyes began to adjust, he lowered his hand, and a huge neon sign was in front of him from out of seemingly nowhere. It read, in big kanji letters:

"Harem... King?... What idiot came up with this?" Anthony asked aloud. He suddenly heard laughing from all around him, then a bright light shined down on a boy sitting on a throne up some stairs. This boy had short spiky brown hair, with two short locks behind his head. He also wore a tuxedo with a cape attached to it, and a glove on his right hand that mirrored Mickey Mouses.

Now, Anthony has the same color of hair, but he hadn't had his barber cut it spiky since elementary school. Kids used to call him 'The Italian Hedgehog' for it, and while Anthony didn't mind, he stopped wearing that stupid haircut around middle school because he got tired of all the gel he had to buy just to keep the style. But what REALLY got Anthony's attention; was the oddly familiar gauntlet the boy had on his left arm...

"Ddraig?... HEY, YOU! THAT'S MY DRAGON ON YOUR ARM!" Called Anthony, running up the stairs, but it appeared the spiky-haired kid was ignoring him, still laughing. "Hey!" Anthony walked up to the boy, but he still laughed. "SCUSI! I'M TALKING TO..." said Anthony, going to grab the kids collar and lift him off the chair...

Anthony's hand went THROUGH the kids neck! What the...?!

"WOAH!" Anthony pulled his hand back quickly, his eyes widened in shock and confusion. The Italian tried touching the laughing boy a few more times, edging his hand towards him. No matter how quickly or how slowly Anthony tried grabbing the kid, his hand still went through him like a ghost. "What the...?" Anthony questioned, still trying to touch the boy while also trying to make sense of this. He tried summoning Ddraig himself, thinking the trophy might have hit his head too hard, but nothing happened.

"Hahaha! My perfect fantasy world, is finally complete! I'm a total Harem King, baby!" Said the boy, very happy about being a 'king'. "I know redheads who are better Kings than you!" Yelled Anthony to the boy but just like before, his voice did not seem to be heard. Speaking of redhead...

"ISSEI!"

Anthony felt something rush through him as it ran up the stairs. It was a buxom girl with red hair, who mounted the boy right where he sat. She was also wearing nothing (which wasn't too surprising to Anthony) but a black see-through skirt that left NOTHING to the imagination. She was wearing underwear at least, but the scene alone made Anthony's eyes widen into saucers. "... R... Rias?" Asked Anthony, now even more confused.

"Now that the others are gone..." Rias said in a lust-filled tone, then smashed her lips into the boys. For a full minute; all Anthony heard and saw was moaning from both parties, and this random guy feeling up Rias, which she didn't seem to mind. If anything, it made her moan deeper. She also started grinding on the boy.

Anthony's first reaction was to go over and "save" Rias, but didn't act upon this because:

A) He most likely couldn't touch her either, considering it didn't work before and she literally ran through him.

B) He was still in shock... he also got a funny feeling in his chest upon seeing Rias throw herself on this poser.

Both Rias and the kid, his name was Issei apparently, finally broke the kiss that was torturing to watch. "Rias! Ddraig! Real funny, guys! You can cut the act now" said Anthony, not 100% believing what he said, but it was the only rational thing he could come too. This had to be some kind of joke, right? Yeah. This was all a ruse by both Rias and Ddraig, just to get a reaction from him. Rias simply hired a cosplayer/male stripper, and Ddraig somehow migrated into him without killing Anthony.

For the third time though, Anthony's voice was unheard. They couldn't be just ignoring him. Even if someone ignores you, their still aware your there. But with Rias and Ddraig... they didn't acknowledge Anthony at all.

"Not fair, Rias! Your always keeping him to yourself!"

That voice! Anthony flinched upon hearing it; that sweet, innocent voice... no way. It couldn't be. He turned very slowly towards the source of it, and if he wasn't wide-eyes before... now he sure was. From behind him, more girls came up. They included: "... Asia?... Koneko?... Akeno?" Said Anthony, shocked with seeing Asia here, but it wasn't just her. There were other girls here, some Anthony didn't recognize.

Asia (who had a larger bust size for some reason) and from what he could guess was an older Irina, since he hadn't seen her in quite some time... damn, the years have been kind to her. She had 2 long ponytails and a figure that rivaled Kim Kardashians. Akeno was next, followed up by Koneko... and what was that brat Ravel doing here?

All of them were wearing the same thing Rias was wearing, which included the newcomers. They were:

1) A girl with short blue hair that had a single green bang.

2) A girl with long silver hair that looked to be a college student.

3) A girl with black hair and eyes, and had tape X's over her nipples... was she a stripper too?

4) A girl whose similar to number 3, though was younger looking and had dark brown hair instead.

5) A girl who Anthony could guess was a Furry. She had 2 cat tails and cat ears all in black.

6) Another possible Furry, this one having yellow fox-like ears and appeared to be around the same age as Koneko.

7) The Dark Magician Girl?

8) Bella Swan with a cat-eared hood.

9) A purple haired diva.

10) (**AN**: Because DxD is an ongoing series, this number will serve as any other additional girl(s) that shows intimate feelings for Issei or lives with him, as this chapter was written when True DxD was on its 3rd volume.)

"Huh... it's good to be king" Anthony had to admit. Each one of the girls joined in with Rias, beginning to fight over Issei as if he was _that great_. Please. Anthony knew HE could do a better job than anything this cosplaying weirdo could do. But still, this scene made no sense to him. Who was this Issei guy? And how did he know Rias, Asia and the rest of the girls present that Anthony knew of?

**[I've been surrounded by lustful partners before, Issei; but this is ridiculous] **came Ddraig's voice, his tone noble and not at all preverted as Anthony had come accustomed too. The dragon also sounded annoyed. It was like this was a new Ddraig altogether. "I know, isn't it great!" Said Issei, while still getting fought over. **[Ugh... how far I've fallen] **Sighed Ddraig.

After more arguing and claiming '_he's mine'_; "That's it! We'll settle this the old-fashioned way!" Rias suddenly shouted. "FINE!" Said the rest of the girls. That's when all the girls got into a big circle and...

"One, two, THREE!... One, two, THREE!... One, two, THREE!..."

...

...

"Rock-Paper-and-fucking-Scissors?... What are they, four?" Questioned Anthony, with a raised eyebrow as the girls kept going. If that wasn't weird enough, each girl threw down the exact same symbol, making it a multiple-way tie; their 'Rocks' bouncing with each gesture they did. The scene began to fade away until it was out of sight. "Hey. HEY! Where ya guys going?!" Anthony called out, but the group vanished as the Italian held his hand out and ran after them until they disappeared, with Issei's voice cheering: "I love being the Harem Kiiiiiiiiiing!"

Anthony stopped running, seeing as he could not keep up with them as they vanished. "... what was that all abo...?"

STOMP!

Anthony found himself in-between 2 large toes. If he was an inch further to the left or right...

Shook up, Anthony crawled backwards and fell off a small cliff, rolling backward until he stopped. The black void had changed to a decimated environment that wasn't recognizable in the slightest. Dirt, destroyed structures, and a large red dragon roaring overhead; but it wasn't like a dragon from the storybooks or video games... it was absolutely terrifying. Anthony's eyes could have literally popped out of his head! Despite this dragons menacing appearance, it felt... familiar.

It was easily the size of a T-Rex, maybe a few feet larger, with a mouth full of large teeth. It's wings also didn't exactly look like traditional wings, just bone without the flaps of skin. Along the wings were green gems, 4 on each bone. The rest of the dragon looked much like Anthony's Balance Breaker, just enlarged. Was this...?

"Ddr... Ddraig?" Asked Anthony, not believing his eyes. This looked nothing like Ddraig when he first encountered him during the wedding dream, this version was more demonic than dragonic. What happened to him?

**"Not bad for 'lesser dragon', huh Vali?" **Asked the red dragon, looking towards something in the distance; but it wasn't Ddraig's voice. It sounded like that kid from earlier, the 'Harem King' or whatever. It also sounded older.

And who's Vali?

**"You've gotten stronger, Issei. Much stronger. Our fated battle will be talked about for years to come!"** Said a new voice, one Anthony didn't recognize. Turning around, he saw another large dragon-like creature that was similar to Ddriag, just white and blue compared to Ddraig's red and green. After that remark, both large dragons jumped at each other and clashed. They began flying around the sky, swiping at each other at almost unseeable speed. Anthony also heard Ddraig's iconic "BOOST" catchphrase, along with a deep voice saying "DIVIDE", multiple times.

Anthony tried to understand what was happening... well, he wasn't a TOTAL idiot. This was a battle, anyone could see that, even someone with a collective of 3 brain cells. It's just... why? Why was this happening? Why was he seeing this? Who were these Issei and Vali guys?... And why did one of them have his dragon?

Ddraig/Issei was either knocked out of the sky or simply landed on his feet, it was hard to tell, but his chest armor opened up to reveal a cannon of some sort, charging green energy quickly.** [Longinus SMASHER!]** Roared Ddraig's voice, as the chest cannon unleashed a thick green energy beam towards the white dragon still in the sky. **[DIVIDE!] **Said the unknown deep voice as the white dragon's wings began to glow. It was at this point Anthony established that the deep voice must belong to the white dragon. The white dragon kept repeating 'Divide', making the Longinus Smasher beam weaken somehow.

It wasn't enough. The Smasher beam looked like it would still pack a wallop if it hit, so the white dragon had no choice but to abandon its efforts and evade the attack. As the beam continued to travel, even in its weakened state, it still tore holes in clouds and caused an bright green explosion in the sky.

Anthony was both scared and mesmerized by this display of power. Was this Ddraig before he was sealed inside the Boosted Gear? It couldn't be, as the armor he had around his body was an almost copy and paste resemblance to what Anthony had seen; and Ddraig used to be an actual dragon right? Maybe thick armor was how dragons actually look? But if that was true, then why were 2 voices coming from each dragon?

ARRRRGGH! Anthony didn't get it! None of this made any sense!

Both dragons fired energy beams from their mouths at each other, but they were evenly matched and it caused a bright explosion. **[HALF DIMENSION!]** said the white dragon as the light from the explosion died down. The dragons wings began to glow, and everything around him began to shrink.** "Oh, your not cutting any lady lops in half today!"** Said Issei. **"For the last time, that's not what it does"** deadpanned the white dragon, it's voice having changed again.

Despite this, Ddraig/Issei did something that Anthony didn't expect: his wings folded into themselves and shifted... into a large blaster-like device! **[FANG BLAST BOOSTER!]** Ddraig said.

**"Wait, that's your Cardinal Crimson cannon"** said the white dragon. **"Even an old pervert can learn new tricks"** said Issei proudly, the now named blaster charging up.** [You may have _some_ control of Juggernaut Drive now, but it'll start devouring your life force again after your demonic power runs out]** said Ddraig's voice.

**[Ddraig is right, Vali. You and Issei may want to consider dismissing them] **said the unknown deep voice, sounding concerned for both his host and their opponents. **"And miss all the fun? If me and Issei and are gonna do this, we're going all-out. This IS our fated battle, the one we've been working for"** said the guy now known to be Vali. He appeared to be talking to the deep voice, so its safe to assume this Vali guy is the host of whatever Gear he's using, as there's no other explanation that Anthony could come up with... unless this Vali guy was a schizofrenico.

**"Finally, something we agree on"** said Issei, as the blaster appeared to now be fully charged. **"Crimson... BLASTERRRRRRRRRRRR!"** Issei released the stored power as an immense energy blast. It wasn't as powerful as the Longinus move from before, but still looked quite potent. **[REFLECT!]** Said the white dragon. It's wings glowed, but it didn't appear anything else had happened. Wasn't there supposed to be a Psychc-Type force field or something generated from that?

Just as the Crimson Blast would've hit Vali, it somehow turned and flew back towards its caster. "MERDA!" Said Anthony, witnessing Issei's/Ddraig's own power being turned against him. In a surprise twist... **[REFLECT!] **Said Ddraig, his green gems glowing the same color as the white dragons wings. His reflected attacked was... re-reflected... back to the white dragon. The blast kept circling back and forth between the 2 dragons, both focusing their power on trying to redirect the attack successfully to hit the opposing player.

**"Using my power again? Can't win with your own?"** Vali taunted. **"Don't leave your Gear lying around next time"** Said Issei, in a joking tone. This left Anthony amazed. Ddraig could take others' power? He thought the Boosted Gear could only give power.

**[PENETRATE!]** Called out Ddraig, making the white dragons wings go dark and canceling it's power. Issei's/Ddraig's presence had paid off, as the blast finally hit Vali in the chest and knocking him out of the sky. **"HA! TITTY SHOT!"** Cheered Issei. Vali got up from his fall, and the 2 dragons flew at each other, clashing again. How long has this gone on? From the looks of the landscape, it seemed to have lasted a few hours, but Anthony wasn't sure.

"Their having fun, aren't they?" Came Koneko's voice. "I just hope he doesn't hurt himself" Came Rias' voice. Looking above and behind himself, Anthony saw the ORC watching the battle, with a few of the unknown girls as well. They appeared older (though Rias once mentioned Devils can change their appearance with magic), looking to be in their late 20's to early 30's. This excluded:

1) Ravel (again, why was she here?), who appeared to be in her late teens or 20's. She got taller though still shorter than Anthony.

2) Koneko, same age range as Ravel. She was still the shortest of the bunch, but had a similar body type to Asia (at least, before her boobs grew).

3) The Fox-eared girl, who was the same height as Koneko, couldn't be any older than her teens. She also had the same body type as Ravel.

As for the rest of the present members:

1) Kiba looked no different than before, just older.

2) There was a small body dressed in a girls uniform for Kuoh Academy... he looked somewhat identical to the girl with the cat-hood from earlier.

2) Asia was now a splitting image of Rias, still having her natural blond hair.

3) Irina still looked the same during the "Harem King" segment.

4) Akeno... god-DAMN! How much bigger can those things get?! What was she now, an Annie Hawkins-Cup?!

5) Rias was still as buxom as ever.

The remaining gathered people had very little changes to them, remaining mostly unchanged from what Anthony saw previously. "You can beat him this time, Issei!" Said the crossdressed boy. "Show'em whose boss like the Grabbing Dragon you are! Give him some perv power!" Said Irina, cheering Issei on. She was still as cheerful as Anthony remembered.

Getting up, Anthony found his way up to the group. "Rias, Asia, guys! Do you know what's going on here?!" Asked Anthony, hoping he could learn about whatever was happening. Just like before however, no one reacted to his presence.

Back to the fight, Issei pulled one of his fists back. **[SOLID IMPACT BOOSTER!]** Ddraig called out, and this caused the fist Issei was using to expand and grow large. They hit Vali with it, denting some of his armor, and making him slide back. Because of his large size, a few buildings didn't stand a chance when his foot went through them. As cool as this fight looked, Anthony hoped it was taking place in a dimensional space and not the real world.

Vali recovered.** [COMPRESSION DIVIDER!] **Came the deep voice. At first, it appeared Vali was using Half Dimension again, though this attack appeared to focus on Issei/Ddraig rather than affect everything around the caster. This made Issei/Ddraig start shrinking, how was he gonna counter that? **"Oh shit, gotta replenish"** said Issei, as Ddraig began saying boo... wait. Why was he saying 'Bust' repeatedly? And in an annoyed manner?

Anthony heard a moan next to him, so he looked to see... streams of energy coming out of Rias' chest area and into Issei/Ddraig, the redhead continuing to moan. Horrifyingly, her size also shrunk until there was barely anything there! Whatever the fuck that was about, it at least countered Vali's attack. **[He did it again...]** deadpanned the deep voice. **"Typical"** Vali sighed. **"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DEMONIC POWER OF RIAS' MARVELOUS MELONBALLS!"** Declared Issei, pointing at the opposing dragon with a claw.

Anthony would've thought the group would facepalm, deadpan or at the very least, sweatdrop at this. But no. While they appeared slightly disturbed, they were apparently used to it. And what's this about demonic power?... That's why they're so big? Anthony will probably tease Rias over it, but he was more focused and concerned on what this monster did to the poor girl. His eyes were wide and stared at the now flat-chested King, his jaw agape. "... that is pure evil" he said.

He hoped to God that Ddraig DID NOT really possess that ability...

The dragons continued their battle, but it suddenly ended when they flew at each other again. Not the battle per se, but the scene itself. Anthony was once again in the black void. **[ISSEI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!]** Asked Ddraig's voice, sounding a bit hysterical. It came from behind Anthony, so he turned around to see the large red dragon armor (he thinks it was called Juggernog or something, it all happened so fast) floating. All of its gems were glowing, so he was powering up... but why? There were no enemies around.

Then, the armor began to crack, little by little. **[ISSEEEEEEEEEEEEI! DOOOOOOOON'T!]** Cried Ddraig. Then the armor appeared to have self-destructed, blinding green light filled Anthony's vision that even burned his skin. He shielded his eyes with both hands up and looked away while closing his eyes, as the green light enveloped the entire black void... including him!

FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

Anthony's eyes shot open, looking up at a ceiling. He blinked a few times, and realized he was in his bedroom. Plus, he didn't feel the roughness of his floor, and due to the distance of the ceiling, he could safely say he was in his bed. Was that all just a crazy dream?

Though his head hurt from last nights 'event', Anthony tried getting up with his right hand, headache be damned. But his arm felt stuck for some reason. Looking to the side, Rias was soundly sleeping right on top of his arm, naked as usual. Guess Rias got Asia outta here after all, plus his hand found a nice place to rest on Rias's hips. He tried using his left arm this time, but it felt the same. This confused Anthony greatly, what was...?

...

Spoke too soon. Asia was also naked, and sleeping on his left arm. Said arm held the ex-holy sister REALLY close, wrapping around her back. Asia didn't appear to have been awoken by this brash action. That, or she decided she didn't mind the arrangement. This wasn't the first time she and Anthony spent a night together, but at least back then she had something on!

If Anthony wasn't introduced to Rias and the supernatural world, he might have freaked out. Don't get him wrong, just seeing 2 beauties next to him like this made him feel odd, as this would only happen in dreams he had in 6th grade when his hormones were just starting to spread. He became somewhat used to it thanks to Rias.

Didn't mean it wasn't awkward for Asia to start the naked thing...

Despite this and the fact they had to get ready for school, Anthony couldn't find it in himself to disturb them. They looked so peaceful, and he felt bad if they were awoken from their slumber. It was actually quite adorable to see them sleep, they looked cute. Deciding to wait for them to finishing resting, Anthony closed his eyes and relaxed... at least _tried_ too. Not everyday you wake up with 2 girls cuddled up close to you. While he waited, his thoughts drifted to his current lifestyle. Here he was, living with one of the "Greats", and one of his childhood friends he thought he'd never see again. And sure, he's a servant of a Devil as a price of being given a second chance, but at least this new life was never dull.

While on that subject, when did he change his clothes from his school uniform to a white T-Shirt and red gym shorts? Did Rias and Asia...?

After a few minutes, both girls' eyelids began twitching, a sign that they were awakening. "Good morning, Anthony" Rias was the first to speak, and had her usual smile on her face. She also sat up, which was a first as usually she'd be the one fighting to stay IN bed. "Did you sleep well?" Asia asked, also getting up.

"Oh yeah. Knocked right out" said Anthony. While he was only joking, which Rias and Asia understood, that didn't stop them from getting sad looks on their faces and looking down, feeling guilty for last night. "... I'm kidding. Why are you guys still here again?" Said Anthony, assuring the girls he wasn't being serious, while also asking what they were still don't in his bedroom. Again, he's not a total idiot. It took him less than 10 seconds to figure it out on his own, but he still wanted confirmation regardless.

"You forgot to tell us who you wanted to sleep with after..." Asia said, her gaze trailing or the sports trophy that was on the floor. She began to feel ashamed again, her cheeks starting to redden slightly as she recalled everything she did last night. Honestly, she had no idea what came over her. As soon as Rias said _'I'm sleeping with you'_, the former holy sister just lost her shit. Then they began agruing about chest size, going on and on about other ridiculous things, until they got physical and caused Anthony to get hurt.

Asia was innocent, but not completely oblivious either. This happened with Irina when they were little... to a much lesser extent of course, but that's only because Asia wanted to be close to the person she cared about. Present day reason was because she thought she could only dream of being close to him again.

_'Forgot... that's the word...'_ Anthony thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, Anthony. It's just..." Asia went to explain (though she wasn't sure if she could), but Anthony rubbed the top of Asia's head. This always calmed Asia down as kids for some reason and it thankfully still had the same effect, also making her smile. "It's fine. Rias was obviously jealous and didn't want to share" Anthony said, joking at Rias' expense.

"I'm not unreasonable. We made the best of the situation" said Rias, explaining her side of the story. "By sharing your Italian Teddy?" Asked Anthony. "And using both his arms as pillows. It was quite comfy" answered Rias. "It was! I haven't slept like that in years!" Said Asia, smiling brighter. Then about 5 seconds after admitting that, she blushed deeply... though she didn't take it back.

She also happened to look in the direction of Anthony's alarm, which he also "forgot" to set last night, and gasped. It was 7:15AM! If they don't get up now, they'll be late!

"We should get ready! It's almost time to go!" Said Asia. "Crap! I'll get breakf...!" Anthony began, about to leap out of bed and start his morning cooking (since there was no time to do the morning training at this point), but Rias placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "I think you've been through enough stress, we'll take care of it" she said, indirectly mentioning last nights events, and telling Anthony she and Asia will start the morning ritual this time.

"_Mom_. I'm fine. It's a bruise. I'll..." Anthony tried to say, but Rias pushed a little bit on his chest. Not enough to push him down, just hold him back. She then got closer to Anthony's face, her blue eyes focused on his. "I... insist. Let the King pamper her Queen" she said. Anthony's heart began to beat a little faster with how close she was getting, but just rolled his eyes up and exhaled loudly, knowing this will go nowhere fast if he tries to argue.

"Okaaaaaaay..." the Italian huffed. Having got her way, Rias smiled and slowly backed off. She reached the side of the bed even slower, standing up as slowly as possible. Why? Because she was holding onto the comforter and she wrapped it around her body as a makeshift robe as she stood up. She left a majority of her flesh on display, but whether it was intentional or not was unclear.

How Rias suddenly made bed sheets sexy, Anthony may never know. Hell, she could make a damn straitjacket look good!

"Thanks again, Anthony... for another _wonderful_ night..." Rias muttered salaciously, though loud enough for the 2 other house mates to hear. Her words were covered in honey, which caused Asia to react accordingly. She also went as slow as she could to the edge of Anthony's bed, so her bare back was on full diaplay, where she bent down to get something. It was one of her nighties. She must have gotten it sometime during the night.

She put it on, but did it normally. "See you downstairs" Asia said, a warm smile on her face. With this, both girls began to step out of the room.

Something was still bothering Anthony though. "Wait. Wait!" He suddenly called out just as both females were about to exit the room. They both turned their heads to look back at him, wondering what he could want. "Does... Issei mean anything to you?" He asked.

Both girls stared at Anthony like he grew a second head out of his neck. "Issei?" Asked Asia with a cocked head. "Who's Issei?" Asked Rias, her head tilted in the other direction.

Anthony mentally facepalmed, feeling like an idiot. Of course they wouldn't know who Issei was! He was a fig-mation of his imagination! "Er... nevermind. Probably hit my head too hard. I'll meet you guys down in a minute" he excused. Asia walked back to the bed and put a hand on his forehead, as if checking for a fever. "You sure? You might have a..." Asia asked, worried about her friend. It was here that Anthony took Asia's wrist and gently removed it. "I'll be ok. Now go show Rias how to make French Toast and Miso Soup" said Anthony. Rias smiled, choosing to ignore the jab, figuring she'll find a way to get back at him later.

Both girls left the room... though Anthony could've sworn one of them said: 'though mine always ends up too salty'.

As soon as that door closed, Anthony fell back into bed 2 seconds later, groaning. "Ugh. Fuck me sideways and call me an Egg McMuffin" He groaned. This was too weird. It's bad enough that Rias was pushy when it came to the sleeping schedule, but now Asia? How can Anthony pretend everything is normal when it clearly isn't? He had seen them both naked, slept with each one on separate occasions and now at the same time, and even as far as touching them on an island. Accidental or not, it still happened.

This was more awkward than being asked on a date and when you go to pick up the person, he/she is busy with another guy/girl in the room because you arrived early to try and make a good first impression.

Anthony may or may not have experience with seeing that...

"ARRRRRRRGH! My life sucks" moaned Anthony. **[If your done complaining now...]** Came Ddraig's voice. "Give me 5 minutes" Anthony moaned some more. **[Eh, fuggedaboutit]** Ddraig said. This caused Anthony to sit up and look directly at the green light on his hand with an unamused glare. "Did you come out of your hole just to ridicule me?" Anthony asked.** [I came out to give you a warning. There's a strong supernatural presence around us lately]** said Ddraig. "Oh yeah. She's been sneaking in here every night..." Anthony said, nonchalantly.

**[I thought that too, and even Azazel at one point, but it may also be the Vanishing One]** said Ddraig. "Vanishing One?" Questioned Anthony, unfamiliar with the term.** [You know how I'm called a Heavenly dragon? There's actually 2 of us. The Red Dragon Emperor of Domination, that's me; and the Vanishing White Dragon of Supremacy. We've**** been fighting for several centuries now]** Ddraig explained.

"Hold the phone" said Anthony, getting up from his bed and going into his closet.** [What are you doing?]** Asked Ddraig, as Anthony began to dig through a box. From it, he pulled out a card from a deck wrapped in a rubber band. Anthony was about to show it to the light on his hand when, **[PUT THAT BITCH DOWN!]** Roared Ddraig in anger, his outburst startling Anthony and making him drop the card back in the box.

"What? Isn't this the white dragon?" Asked Anthony.** [She WISHES. Albion can blow her over with a sneeze] **said Ddraig. "She's one of the best dragons in the game, there's only 4 copies of these things!" Said Anthony.** ['Best in the game' ****my tail! Once she realized she was playing with the big boys, she flew off to the mortal realm and created a human body for herself. The some child saved her from bandits... wouldn't stop stalking him since] **Ddraig said, a little calmed down but still sounding upset.

"She wasn't stalking, she was protecting him!" Countered Anthony. **[Please. All she knows is how to blow shit up. Even a guy with Pandora Gemstones in his gauntlet is more powerful than a dragon like her]** countered Ddraig. "Look whose talking..." Anthony muttered.

**[Now Albion... he's the REAL white dragon. While I can boost the power of myself or allies, Albion simply takes it all for himself, and he doesn't like to share. We fought each other even before the Great War, but those fools interrupted us]** said Ddraig. "I'm going to assume _those fools_ were the Devils, Angels and Fallen?" Anthony asked, though he already had an idea what Ddraig was saying.

**[Correct. Me and Albion then straight up attacked them]** said Ddraig. "WHY?!" Asked Anthony. **[What do ya mean, why? Everyone knows you never disturb dragons while they fight! In fact, we were in the middle of making history! That was the longest recorded battle between 2 dragons the world had ever seen! And they dragged their little scuffle to us!... Quite rude if you ask me]** said Ddraig.

"And that's how you ended up trapped in a Ranger Morpher?" Asked Anthony. **[For a lack of better words, yes. Me and Albion were strong; but the Devils, Angels and Fallen were many. Then the 3 leaders of each Faction joined forces to finish me and Albion off. Our bodies were destroyed, but our sprirts were sealed inside Sacred Gears, allowing us to continue our fight by jumping from person to person] **Ddraig explained.

"So let me get this straight: because you and your buddy threw a temper tantrum, there's another dragon out there bonded to someone with a similar Gear to mine?" Asked Anthony.** [There is. And if what I'm feeling is correct, Albion won't be far behind. He may already be in Kuoh. Your my only hope of beating him]** Ddraig said. "Beating him? After centuries of fighting, neither one of you won yet?" Asked Anthony.

**[Technically no. While me and Albion had many masters over the years, very few have actually fought each other. Most would be lost to the power me or Albion wield, and miss their chance. The cycle continues, and here we are again] **Ddraig explained. "How many times have you fought?" Asked Anthony, getting a little nervous. So because he had a dragon's soul inside of him, he was destined the fight other one?

Sounded like something outta Breath of Fire or Skyrim.

**[5 thousand's when I stopped counting... 6 thousand's when I stopped caring. Seemed tedious to keep track, since a large majority of masters' never physically fought anyway****]** said Ddraig. "Did you ever win at least once?" Asked Anthony. **[It's 50-50... though one of my masters _did_ beat Albion twice. Heheh, I can still see the look on his face...]** said Ddraig, chuckling at the memory. "Okay... you won twice,. You proved to be the best, why keep fighting?" Asked Anthony, confused. If Ddraig won twice in a row, shouldn't that have settled the matter? **[He's a sore loser, but he did end up returning the favor. Plus we've nothing else better to do]** shrugged Ddraig.

Anthony sighed. "Listen Ddraig, love ya to death man, but..." He began, then trailed off. **[But?] **Repeated Ddraig. "Its kind of an unfair trade. Would've been nice to know you came with excess baggage BEFORE giving you my arm..." Anthony said. **[I gave _you_** **the power of a dragon on SIX separate occasions. How's that for fair?]** Ddraig countered.

Anthony groaned, having had no response ready for that one. Now that he thought about it, it would be stupid to argue that point anyway. Ddraig helped Anthony before the Italian even knew of his existence. First when he was born (albeit involuntarily), then when Scott Astaroth cornered him and Asia as kids, next was against Freed, fourth was Raynare and her army of Fallen, another time was during the Rating Game and wiping out Risers forces, and finally allowing Anthony access to the Balance Breaker so he could hold off and weaken Riser himself.

"Yeah, I know. Though I felt like I ate 30 Gnocchis afterward" Anthony said. **[I'm telling you this because I want you to be prepared. Albion will eventually be a hurdle you must overcome, especially if you want to finally become a Queen] **said Ddraig, mentioning one of Anthony's goals.

"Speaking of hurdles, two of them to calm down. They've been up my ass lately" said Anthony. **[Why not bed them both? That'll shut'em up]** Ddraig suggested, which made Anthony immediately red, getting a rush of fresh hormonal thoughts. "DUDE! I can't do that to them! That's messed up!" Said Anthony. **[How so? Its not uncommon for Devils to have more than one partner]** said Ddraig. Anthony was both interested and concerned at that piece of information. At first he thought Ddraig was joking, but his tone sounded genuine. While Anthony didn't see any reason to have multiple girls clinging to him, it was still a wonder in the back of his mind.

What can he say? He's a guy.

Though at the same time, if Shindo Itsuka's or Kirigaya Kazuto's situations were anything to go by...

"Any particular reason why?" He asked. **[That's how their society runs. Why else do you think Riser had an entire army of women at his disposal?]** Asked Ddraig. "He's a manipulator with a shitload of money, and is as desperate as who wrote an uninspired song called Yummy?" Said Anthony.

Ddraig heartily laughed at that interpretation of Riser. **[I like you, Anthony. Not all masters are as bluntly honest as you]** the dragon praised. "It's a gift and a curse" said Anthony. **[I get the feeling. A dragons power, big or small, is the same way. It can be overwhelming to some people, supernatural or not. Some will fear it and flee, others will try to stand their ground and fight. Though many may also find it quite attractive and charming]** said Ddraig.

Anthony's expression could only be described as a mix of happiness, confusion and deep thought. "... davvero?" He asked. **[Oh yeah, every master I've lived in has been chased by lustful partners. I've been called the most amazing sacred treasure in the whole world]** said Ddraig, almost proudly.

Anthony was silent for a moment, taking all that information in. He came to the conclusion: "... So you ARE a pervert!"

**[What?... N-No, NOOOO! I'M NOT A PERVERT!]**

"YOU JUST ADMITTED IT!"

**[ITS NOT ME, ITS MY POWER!]**

"YEAH! _YOUR_ POWER!"

**[I'M SORRY, ITS NOT MY FAULT!]** Ddraig began to cry. **[You think I chose this life?! A constant cycle of death and rebirth over and over again? It gets old after a while!]** Ddraig sobbed some more. **[Sometimes I just wanna come back as a Jesus Lizard and run across rivers on my free time... **_*breathes in*_** IT SOUNDS RELAXING!]** Ddraig continued his breakdown, his voice cracking a little.

Anthony felt bad at how his outburst caused Ddraig to cry. Maybe he over exaggerated a little bit. "S-Sorry man, I freaked out a little. I'm working towards becoming a Queen, don't wanna be crowned as Harem King until..." he apologized, throwing in a joke to try and cheer Ddraig up.

BA-DUM!

"ARGH!"

Anthony grabbed his arm in pain. Somehow, it was cramping up again. It wasn't like the first time, where his whole arm was on fire. This time, it felt like something was squeezing his arm so hard, it would explode! In fact, this didn't feel like leftover energy... it was coming from Ddraig himself. **[Where... did you... _hear_ _that_?...]** Ddraig growled at Anthony. The Italian could feel the anger of the dragon... and regret? That last emotion made no sense, but Anthony couldn't think about that right now due to his hurting arm.

"Ddraig... my arm... ITS GONNA IMPLODE!" Anthony said between flashes of pain, then shouted due to its severity. Ddraig seemed to realize his mistake and calm down, the gripping feeling stopping immediately. Anthony continued to hold his arm, even as the pain began to subside. **[I... I'm sorry Anthony, I...]** Ddraig apologized, ashamed he let his emotions get to him. "What was that for? I was only joking" said Anthony. His arm didn't hurt too much anymore, but that was an experience he'll certainly never forget.

**[I uh... I was... CRANKY! Yeah, that's it. Didn't get much sleep last night, we dragons need 10 hours to fully recharge, ya know. I'll head back in the Gear and rest up, just remember what I said]** said Ddraig, reminding Anthony about what was discussed about this 'Vanishing One', but his tone was nervous and slightly frantic.

The light faded on Anthony's arm, signaling Ddraig left and returned to the Gear. Anthony shrugged and was getting up to finally start getting ready for school and such, when he noticed his alarm clock again. The time was now 7:20AM, and Anthony was 'punched out' at nine. That was almost exactly 10 hours of sleep... Ddraig either lied or maybe he didn't go to sleep until late.

Still, why did Ddraig have such a negative reaction to 'Harem King'? Maybe it was Ddraig's proud nature as a dragon? Or maybe he thought Anthony was making fun of him? But if either was true, where did the feeling of regret come from? It was like Ddraig was ashamed about something, but why would a crazy line from a crazy dream set him off?

Anthony shook his head. Maybe he was just overthinking this and Ddraig had enough of the endless cycle of death and rebirth, the dragon DID mention that after all. Getting a fresh uniform from his closet, Anthony exited the bedroom to head for the shower.

* * *

Now, I know what to it probably typing as a review: _'Wow... alternate universe... SOOO original'__, _hear me out first. I promise it's NOT what your thinking.

In many AU fics I've read, the writers never explain HOW the AU came to be. They just slap AU story on it, give the protagonist a Gear, follow the plot of the original work and call it a day. I've decided to take another approach, do something transformative. So to do that, this series will have an additional subplot aside from Anthony gaining love from the girls. He will also have to deal with that strange vision and figure out what it means, which includes learning WHY Ddraig reacted the way he did.

Thanks for reading the first chapter of **The Italian Dragon Emperor** for 2020. See ya'll next time! :)

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Scusi**: another way of saying "excuse me"

2) **Schizofrenico**: a male schizophrenic.

3) **Gnocchi** (pronounced as AN-YOKE-KEY): a tiny dumpling that, while tasty, can make your stomach feel like it has lead pellets in it if you eat too much.

4) **Davvero**: means "really"; used in a questioning manner.


	31. Chapter 31

**Anthony**: _(enters a room)_ Hello?... Bakuganman?... The hell are you? I'm back from reading "Sona DxD", that shits getting good! _(sees the review section for **The Italian Dragon Emperor** open and an unfinished document at a desktop computer)_ Huh, must've been writing and got some reviews. _(darts eyes back and forth, and his hair becomes devil horns with an evil smile)_ I guess he won't mind... _(takes a seat at the desk)_ Alright, lets see here...

_From Imperial-samaB:_

_Well this should be fun_

**Anthony**: It has been, never a dull moment with friends like mine.

_From 54godamora:_

_the main portion of this chapter really confused me. it was like one big fever dream._

**Anthony**: Don't have to tell me twice, I thought Azazel spiked my drink again... no, seriously. There was this dance he wanted me to go to when I was 14, and after begging me, I finally agreed. He thought it'd be funny to add a little something extra to my orange juice... still can't remember much of that night.

_From Calderoneric758: _

_Please tell me the is th4 story basically a new timeline in which issei never existed from that dream and draig remembers him_

**Anthony**: ... the fuck is this? Chicken scratch?... Hold on... _(edits the review)_

_From Calderoneric758 (edited):_

_Please tell me that this story is basically a new timeline in which Issei never existed (from that dream), but drag still remembers him_

**Anthony**: Least I think that's what you were trying to say. Well, I don't know what Bakuganman has planned for me... I know! Crazy right? How can an OC not know what he's getting into? Maybe we can figure out that coglione's grand scheme as the plot progresses... who's drag though?

_From OechsnerC:_

_Awesome update_

**Anthony**: Yeah, I am pretty awesome. Just imagine when I become a Queen! Who's next...

_From SuperShadic2002:_

_Wow! The first chapter in 2020 and you did amazing! I like how you included Issei in his vision, and I feel like the way you have it is the way I might end up having it, where Issei is in the past and is Ddraig's user before the MC. It would make sense, but then again, maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, that's just my theory. Trying to remember who might be considered the Dark Magician Girl in Issei's little vision harem...I found it funny how Anthony plays Yugioh and has Blue Eyes...at least, I think that's what that was. Anyway, great job!_

**Anthony**: Shadic?... Isn't the guy that mad lad Chakra-X gave a backstory from an official unused image? LOVE THAT SHIT! And who doesn't love Yu-Gi-Oh? _(starts voice mimicking a main character)_ _'May the heart of the cards guide you, Yugi'_ haha! Good times, then the show becomes nothing but a pop culture reference machine... still love it though. I also have no idea who that guy Issei is, but I'm gonna find out! _(notices a specific part of the review)_ Hold the phone... _user before the_...

_*Door bursts open*_ BANG!

**Anthony**: _(twists around in the chair)_ YIKE!... Oh, heheh... h-hey Bakuganman. Back so...

**Bakuganman**: **OOOOOOOOOOOUT**! _(Anthony flees, leaving a dust figure of himself before it blows away) *sigh*_ Can't leave to help 54godamora with his story for 5 minutes and Anthony's snooping around. Let's see where I left off... did I get down that far? _(shrugs it off and reads review) _Well SuperShadic, thanks so much for the compliment. Issei showing up in the dream was a plot point foreshadowed already, but I can't tell you the exact answer. The Dark Magician Girl is Le Fay Pendragon, which is also a callback to my _DxD - Hero Reaction_ series I did on YouTube. It went unfinished and while I still have the videos, I'm afraid to post them since COPPA got involved. Ya know, _**all **_animation is for kids... _(mocking voice)_ 'YouTube is the barrel, and creators are the fish'... Ok Boomer.

_From Idaina-o shimo kitsune-sama:_

_Hey could you please put the OC tag on your story._

**Bakuganman**: Huh. Never thought to do that. Sure I will, thanks for the tip! :)

_ From Ace:_

_I may have an idea. Did Ddraig transfer Issei out of his universe in that fight with Vali and into Anthony's becoming his new host? If so what about a possible second Ddraig?_

_Have you seen The Mandalorian?_

**Bakuganman**: On one hand, your right, but then your also wrong. Good guess though. I'm not telling you exactly what happened for the sake of lore. I've also seen the Mandalorian, and its a wild ride. Especially when Baby Yoda started using the Force and passed out! Adorable, but also sad... then you have Planters Peanuts ripping him off at the Superbowl. I was gonna say Sonic did too from his movie, but I'm willing to let that one slide since its transformative.

A bit different than what I usually do. You guys prefer this or the old way? Figured I'd try it and see if you all approve. Before we really begin, what do you all think of me starting a Twitter? This way I can communicate better and maybe post sneak peaks there instead of updating a chapter that you won't get a notification for. Let me know, now back to **The Italian Dragon Emperor**!

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 7: Complicated Coincidences - Part 1**

Everyone has been on their phones. Not that this wasn't normal, just the fact that girls gazed at Anthony as he walked in the door after saying 'Hi' to Sona and Tsubaki. As he roamed the halls, some girls didn't do this; but as soon as they got a message and opened their phones, they seemed entranced by whatever they received. Maybe it was that Youtuber that flexed on Funimation and MyAnimeList on _Interspecies Reviewers_? But then why was it when Anthony saw the same person again later in the day, they gazed at _him_?

Anthony had a Channel himself, but he wasn't too well known. Only about 200 subscribers; and all he did was Reactions, Reviews and Gaming; so why was he suddenly getting attention? It couldn't be the Old Spice body soap Anthony's been using, that marketing tactic stopped working on him long ago.

"Smell like Power" his ass.

As he passed the Kendo Club girls Murayama and Katase, who were talking by their lockers, they both received a message at the same time. They both opened them, and listened to a music video that they found incredible. "Wow. He's a good singer" commented Katase. "And he got a standing ovation for it... that's hard to pull off" said Murayama.

At the same time, Sona and Tsubaki were walking into the main school building. Sona heard some muttering thanks to her Devil hearing, talking about this amazing music video that was uploaded to YouTube recently. That's not all, she also saw Anthony walk past her and he gave his usual chin-flick and smile as a hello, which she returned with a smile of her own. As he walked off, her phone dinged but didn't answer it. She could look at later, though Tsubaki was a different story.

She opened her phone, wondering whom it could be. It was a link to a video, which she opened. "... Rias is lucky" she said, looking impressed by what she was seeing. "Pardon?" Asked Sona, not paying full attention to what Tsubaki said, though she did hear the music coming from her phone. "Oh. Nothing important" said Tsubaki, closing her phone and putting it away.

As both Sitris' approached the school, they stopped walking, noticing 2 figured that clearly didn't belong here. Directly in front of the gates; 2 girls stood dressed in long, white hooded robes. One of them had some kind of object poking out of her back, but it was wrapped in the same colored cloth. The only distinguishing factors for them were long ponytails of chestnut hair, and short blue hair with a green bang...

-TIME BREAK-

"For the last time, I'm not 'getting my sing on' by doing fucking Karaoke" said Anthony for the 100th time. In-between classes, his 2 'friends' were thinking up a scheme to get the hot chicks that are always hanging around Anthony. Yes... it was the Perverted Duo, up to their old tricks again. "Quit being such a party pooper, yo! Learn to unwind a little bit" said Matsuda. "I do that away from you guys everyday" Anthony muttered. "Besides, its not like you haven't sung in front of a crowd before" Motohama said, with Anthony cocking an eyebrow then looking away with closed eyes. "I never, you must be going through Nipple Withdrawal" said Anthony.

Motohama opens his phone and plays a song... in Anthony's voice!

_You raise me uuuuuuuuuuup, so I can stand on mou-taiiiiiiiiiins..._

Anthony's eyes shot open, and quickly snatched the phone out of Motohama's hand. On the screen, was a video of slightly younger Anthony in a handsome tuxedo, standing on a stage. Behind him was a chorus of standing girls, dressed in matching white dresses. They looked older than he did, easily between the ages of 18 - 25... actually, a slightly younger Pesca was there too. **_[Wow... you have an amazing voice]_** said Ddraig, but Anthony didn't hear him. Instead, the Italian held the Calculator by his shirt. "Where... did you get this?" Anthony asked as calmly as possible. "I-Its on YouTube, man" said Motohama. "Yeah, yo. Uploaded the other day, whole school been talking about it" said Matsuda.

Anthony let go of the Glasses Pervert, and scrolled down to the video information.

...

...

...

Uploaded by: Lezaza's Incorporated.

_'I'm gonna fucking kill him'_ thought Anthony. "Bottom line is: your a professional, yo! You have to come with us!" Begged Matsuda. "Forget it!" Anthony said as he tossed Motohama's phone behind him, with the Calculator fumbling comedically with before successfully putting it away. "That part of my life is over" the Italian explained. "Just imagine it for a second! We could win contests and get inserts!" Said Motohama.

From behind him, in a pervy voice: "And who doesn't love a good insert?"

All 3 boys jumped at the unexpected voice. "Kiryuu?" Said both Perverts, all 3 boys seeing who had approached them. "So... I hear Frank Sinatra's making a BIG comeback" said Kiryuu, getting close up to Anthony's face and already trying to push his buttons. "Cause my vagabond shooooooooes..." Anthony began singing mockingly, lifting a leg to point at a shoe. This also got the attention of other students in the hall. "Are longing to straaaaaaaaay, the fuck a-way from Ki-r-yuu! In old, New Yoooooooooork!" Anthony continued, dance-stepping away while still singing... then realized what he had done in his annoyed state.

"_*sniffles and sobs*_ That was so beautiful, yo!" Cried Matsuda. "I never heard something so moving in my life" Motohama sobbed, wiping behind his glassed with a hanky.

"With a voice like that, they'll be no dry seats in the theater" said Kiryuu, her pervy smile widening. _'Fuck me sideways and call me a baloney sandwich, I AM a Gary Stu!'_ thought Anthony. "And what was this contest you were speaking of? Who can get the best insert?" Asked Kiryuu. Anthony was about to say something snarky in response, but then remembered something from earlier this morning. _'Hey, Ddraig?'_ He asked, already thinking of something devious. **_[I already feel the Gears in your head turning, what are you up to?]_** Asked Ddraig.

_'Remember what you said about your power having... effects on people?'_ Anthony 'asked'. **_[Yeah. Some will fight or... oh... Oh-ho, no! Your not!]_** Ddraig said, getting an understanding of what Anthony was planning, and found it quite interesting. His former master never thought of using Ddraig's natural energy like that to his advantage. The dragon approved, so Anthony tapped into a very small portion of Ddraig's power and flared it. Not enough for it to be visible, but just enough for it to be noticeable to someone in VERY close proximity.

"Ya know... I think your right" said Anthony, putting on a scandalous/confident smile on his face. This surprised Kiryuu, even more so when he got closer to her instead of the other way around. She had to back up, but she was against the wall. As she was looking into Anthony's eyes, an odd feeling came over her, like when she grabbed his hand that day in class just before his arm started hurting. The entire hallway was watching what was going on.

Anthony noticed this of course and boy, were these students in for a show.

He put his left hand right against the wall, just above Kiryuu's shoulder. "W-What are you d-doing?" Asked Kiryuu, not using to being on the receiving end of things. "I'm just admiring one of the best girls in the whole school" said Anthony, leaning in a little closer. Kiryuu stumbled to find words... what was he saying? "B-Best... girl?" Repeated Kiryuu. She had never gotten this sort of treatment in her life. "Of course... just looking at you gets my heart beating a thousand times a minute. The glasses, the braided hair... and don't even get me started on the cute smile your always wearing" said Anthony, continuing to compliment her.

As Kiryuu keep looking at him, that strange feeling seemed to get stronger. Her eyes widened, her face began to get flushed and her body was beginning to tremble.

...

...

...

"... HA! GOT-EEE!" Anthony said, returning to his normal state and pulling away. "HAAAAA! HAHAHAHAAAA! HE GOT YA GOOD, SISTER!" Laughed Matsuda. The spectacles-wearing girl just stood there, processing what had just happened. As she stood there, Anthony poked a bit more fun at her, and started making dial-up connection sounds while she was motionless. Once she got over it, she rapidly blinked and cleared her mind of the fog that settled in, realizing she got played.

_**[*sniff* Issei would be so proud]**_ Ddraig sobbed, which Anthony didn't hear cause he wasn't paying attention.

"I guess I _will_ get inserts... magazine ones too" Anthony joked further. What could Kiryuu say now? Anthony got her good. "What's going on?" Asked Asia, who pushed herself through the crowd that was now dispersing. Seeing this, the evil look in Kiryuu's eyes returned. It was her turn to bite back. "Oh, Anthony just showed me his amazing singing voice" Kiryuu said. "What? Anthony? Sing?" Asked Asia, apparently not knowing this fact.

It was here Anthony's confidence began to plummet.

"Asi..." he tried to say, but Kiryuu stopped him by pulling out her phone. "Here, listen" she said, handing her device to the Ex-Nun. The Perverted Girl had pulled up that same video of him singing from "Lezaza's" YouTube Channel, and Asia's eyes were glued to the screen. "Oh yeah, he used to be a choir boy for our church. I thought you quit though" Asia said, revealing another piece of Anthony's past then looking up from the screen at him. Anthony was about to confirm this when Kiryuu interrupted again.

"That's strange, he and the boys just invited us to go Karaoke with them" she said, glancing at Anthony with her sly smile. Asia beamed at the thought of doing Karaoke with Anthony, maybe they could do a duet... she slightly blushed at the thought. "Really? I'd love too, Anthony! Just like old times" said Asia. Anthony had to fix this quickly. "Asia, she's..."

POW! (2x)

Both his 'friends' punched him in the face at the same time to shut him up and knock him down, each hitting an eye socket. "Yeah, it was all his idea" said Matsuda. "We're all going this weekend" said Motohama, both him and Matsuda having equally pervy smiles on their faces. "That sounds like fun, I can't wait" Asia cheered.

Poor Anthony laid on the hard floor, with 2 fist-sized imprints in his eyes, moaning and groaning from both pain and regret. **_[Well that backfired, didn't it?]_** Ddraig stated.

-TIME BREAK-

At the end of the school day, both Anthony and Asia walked to the clubhouse. When they walked in, they took notice on how shiny the floor was. It was so shiny in fact, that if Anthony looked down, there was a clear view of Asia's... he looked away, feeling weird for seeing that, even though he's seen her naked already.

"I still can't believe you started singing again, Anthony!" Said Asia. "Neither can I..." Anthony grumbled. That joke seriously backfired, the whole school probably knows by now. "I'm proud you started again. Miss Ganim said you had amazing talent" said Asia. "That didn't stop her from kicking me out" rebutted Anthony. "When was that video taken? That woman looked like your neighbor" asked Asia, curious as to why a younger Pesca was in the video.

"2 years ago, give or take. I was doing her a favor. The original singer had gotten lung cancer, she asked 'Lezaza' if he knew anyone, so I volunteered to help her out" said Anthony. Asia looked concerned. "Don't worry, the guys fine. In fact, he showed up to watch the show and congratulated me afterword" said Anthony, already knowing what Asia was about to ask, which she breathed a sigh of relief to. As they continued to the club room where the ORC met, Asia slipped on the floor, perhaps it was still wet in that spot.

The waxed floor didn't help, cause she slid all the way to the end of the hall.

"ASIA!" Anthony called out. His first instinct was to run after her, but figured that would make the situation worse...

-FANTASY-

As Asia walked, she slipped down the hall. "ASIA! WHOA!" Anthony called out, running after her, but that caused him to slip and fall as well. He ended up slamming into her, and both tried to get up as they continued to slide. This however, made both friends start feeling each other in a variety of ways: Asia's breasts got touch and squeezed (which she gasped at), Anthony's package got stroked (which he said: _"D-D-Don't touch that"_ and Asia apologizing for it); and they both crashed into the end of the hall, moaning and groaning.

Asia ended up with her back on top of him, while Anthony's head poked out from beneath her skirt.

-END FANTASY-

Thankfully, the G-force wasn't enough for Asia to get hurt, though her rump felt kinda sore. "You ok?" Asked Anthony, slowly helping her stand up after getting to her. "Oh... yeah, I'm fine" said Asia.

BA-DUM!

Both friends' hands began to tense up for some reason, but they already thought they had an idea what it was. It was probably their Sacred Gears reacting to each other. "Oh! Is Ddraig's arm acting up again?" Asked Asia, worried about Anthony's arm. In fact, she already held out her hands in case her own power was needed. "I could ask you the same thing" said Anthony. Fully standing up, Anthony and Asia began to brush themselves off, when Asia asked him another question. "What's this?" She asked as she finished brushing off before Anthony did, pointing to a door wrapped up with chains around the handles... and "Keep Out" tape plastered all over it.

Anthony recognized it immediately, thinking back to a small tour Rias gave him the day after he officially joined the club... which was also after the infamous chess match to the death.

-FLASHBACK-

_"... And this room, as you know, is the main office" said Rias, gesturing to the main chambers where the club members usually are. "So this whole building used to be a schoolhouse? Pretty cool" said Anthony, looking around. That's when he noticed a door at the end of the hallway, wrapped up in 'Keep Out' tape and such, that Rias neglected to mention._

_"Alright, now I need you to hand out some flyers for me" said Rias, beginning to walk off, but Anthony grabbed her by the back of her shirt with his right hand. __"Hooooold up there, Tiese" he said,_ _pulling her back gently and__ making her wide-eyed since she didn't expect it. "*breathes in* What's that?" He asked bluntly, while pointing to the door in question with his left hand. He stood there for a solid 10 seconds, waiting for a response, so he turned to asked Rias again..._

_He was surprised to see he was holding an empty shirt!_

_Turning around, she was walking away with a new shirt on. How did she...?! "RI!... **RIIIIII**!... COME ON! YOUR STILL MAD OVER THAT CHESS MATCH? IT'S A FUCKING BOARD GAME!" Anthony called out to her, walking back down the same hall they cam from, as a closeup shot of the chained handles is shown upon Anthony yelling about chess being just a board game._

-END FLASHBACK-

Rias never gave an answer about that door since, even after Anthony asked a few more times before he gave up on it. Anthony stared at the door before reaching out to grab the handle slowly, his curiosity peaked. Even if the chains were there, maybe he could use Ddraig's power to snap them open? The closer his hand got, the more tensed up it felt, and he was literally an inch away when...

**[DON'T TOUCH IT!]** Roared Ddraig, making both Asia and Anthony jump, the green light on his hand. **[Back up! Both of you!]** Ordered Ddraig. "For what rea-... AH! DDRAIG! STOP IT! TAGLIA, TAGLIA!" Said Anthony, refusing at first; but Ddraig then took control of their shared arm, getting the Boosted Gear out and lead it on the opposite direction, almost like someone was pulling on it. Asia just followed behind, not sure what else she could really do.

As they kept fighting, the gem shined, signalling one successful Boost. Ddraig outstretched their shared arm, and launched a Dragon Shot himself. It shot towards the door...

...

...

...

Nothing happened. No explosion, no scattering wood/metal/plastic from impact, no nothing. It's like the shot just disappeared. "... eh?" Was all Anthony could say. "It didn't... do anything" said Asia. She had seen just what kind of damage a Dragon Shot could do, even with one Boost, so she was stunned to see absolutely nothing had occurred. Looking down, Anthony noticed a bottle cap. Testing a theory, he picked up the cap with his Geared arm and tossed it as hard as he could towards the door. As the cap flew closer and closer to the door, magic circles of the Gremory Clan opened up.

Upon contact, the bottle cap disintegrated into ashes, and the ashes disintegrated into nothing.

Both Asia and Anthony stood wide-eyed, slowly comprehending what they just saw.** [Its not just chains and banners. That door is sealed by powerful magic, at least 100 layers; and has been enhanced by the Power of Destruction]** said Ddraig, which explained why he wanted the two curious friends to get the hell away from that door in the first place. "But... why would Rias do that?" Asked Anthony.** [Beats me. But whatever's behind that door, it caused both your Gears to react to its presence... even through its multiple seals]** said Ddraig.

This left both Asia and Anthony more intrigued, but their wasn't much else they could do instead just head to the main room where the others were waiting. They did silently agree that whatever was beyond that door... was something powerful indeed.

-TIME BREAK-

As soon as Anthony entered the room, Akeno and Kiba were absent, but he saw both Rias and Koneko in their usual spots (at her desk and on one of the sofas respectively) on their phones... and heard the familiar music video everyone's been raving about. "Not you guys too" Anthony sighed. "At least you have _**one**_ good talent" Koneko dryly stated.

Anthony wanted to respond to that, as shown by his deadpanned expression, but couldn't think of a good rebuttal to go along with it.

"I truly have the best Pawn ever, getting 2 viral hits in one day" said Rias, which confused Anthony and Asia. "Two?" Asked Asia. "Um, what two?" Asked Anthony. "Oh, the one uploaded this morning. Check it out... its my _favorite_" said Rias, holding out her phone for Anthony to grab it. When he did, the Kings head was propped up on her desk by her elbows, and her chin being held by her interlocking fingers from both hands. She was also smiling, but there was no happiness behind it.

Did he dare look down at the phone and away from her?

...

...

...

Anthony witnessed the "conversation" between him and Kiryuu from this morning.

He began to sweat coldly. He looked up to try and defend himself, but as he did, Rias was now directly in his face... that smile looked no better than from a distance, in fact it looked worse. **_[Your dead]_** said Ddraig.

_*PULL!*_

**Anthony**: ARRRRRRRRGH!

Rias yanked on his ear... very hard. "What else do you like besides glasses and braided hair?" Asked Rias, pulling a bit harder. "ARRRRRRRGH! I CAN EXPLAIN! IT WAS A JOKE!" Anthony insisted. "Really? Looked like you were being pretty serious" said Rias, twisting Anthony's ear in addition to pulling it. "ARRRRRRRGH! I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, MA'AM! I SWEAR!" Cried Anthony. "You sure?" Rias tortured him, already knowing full well it was a joke, but was having too much fun messing with him.

The truth was, she was in the hallway at the time of this event, and seeing it triggered an odd reaction in her. Her heart started racing while she watched, and she gained the sudden urge to jump in and scold Anthony right then and there. This feeling came out of nowhere, but figured she just wanted to be in the circle and jump in on the teasing as well... that WAS the only reason, right?

"YES, YEEEEEEES! YOUR THE ONE WHO RAISES ME UP, SO PLEASE LET ME GOOOOOOO!" Anthony whined, begging Rias to stop. After a few seconds, she was about to oblige when...

"Yeah, everyone's h..." said Akeno, walking into the club room because she was leading Sona and Tsubaki inside. The 3 of them watched for about 4 seconds. "Are we intruding?" Asked Sona. Hearing her friend/rival, the Gremory King looked up to notice him, then released Anthony's ear. "Not at all, do come in" Rias welcomed, while Anthony started rubbing his ear. Geez, it'll be sore for a month...

"So... how's my second favorite King and Queen doing?" Anthony asked, still ear-rubbing. "Sorry Anthony, but now's not a good time... besides, seems you got an earful already" Sona said, meaning no disrespect towards him, but she needed to focus right now. **[That and more]** commented Ddraig. "Rias? Would you mind coming to my house right away? Its urgent" said Sona, her voice very serious. "Sounds serious" Rias nodded.

"That's an understatement... its serious, and VERY complicated" said Sona, her serious face hardening. Anthony immediately started feeling bad for the Devil, knowing she must have a full plate being as high ranking as she was. "Anything me and Ddraig can do?" He asked. "With all due respect Anthony, this isn't something that should be discussed in the open, and only concerns us Devils" Sona politely denied him, still retaining her emotionless (yet clearly emotional) state, though she did appreciate the gesture.

Rias walked towards the door where her guests awaited. "Club activities are canceled for the day, have a good night" Rias said; leaving the room with Akeno, Sona and Tsubaki. "At least Kiba isn't the only one who gets a day off" said Koneko, getting up from her seat to get her things. Asia was too, but noticed Anthony stared out the door Rias and the others left out of... what was up with Sona? It wasn't like her to lose her cool like that.

-TIME BREAK-

As Anthony was walking home with Asia and (surprisingly) Koneko, waiting for a traffic light to change so Koneko could cross. While waiting, he just couldn't get over how Sona was reacting earlier. "I just don't get it... what made Sona so on edge today?" Anthony asked. "I noticed that too, hope she's alright" said Asia. "And then there's Kiba. Its not like him not to show up either" Anthony added in. "Same. Kiba's always been the most passionate about the club, almost as much as Rias. I'm worried about him" said Koneko. "Me too. Poor guy's like me. He lost people for the sake of power. I wonder if there's a way I can help him, cheer him up somehow" said Anthony.

The light finally changed from red to green. "Yeah... well, see ya" said Koneko, walking along the crosswalk. "Bye, Koneko! See you tomorrow!" Asia said. She started walking off, but noticed that Anthony was watching Koneko leave. "Anthony? You ok?" She asked. "Huh?... Oh, just thinking about how we all ended up joining this crazy club" said Anthony, breaking out of his trance. "What do you mean?" Asked Asia. "I mean; you and me almost died, and Kiba wants to destroy a Kings sword... but Akeno and Koneko... what are their reasons?" Asked Anthony.

After watching Koneko disappear, Anthony lifted up his left arm. "You've been kinda quiet, Ddraig. What are your thoughts?" Anthony asked his arm that he lifted up. No answer. "Yo? You sleeping already?" Asked Anthony, which then got his hand to glow.** [Huh?... Oh, sorry. I too think we should help Mister Kiba somehow. Perhaps get him away from all this for a while]** said Ddraig, giving his opinion.

The wheels in Anthony's head began turning again. He had the perfect idea. "That gives me an idea. Your still a genius, Ddraig; why didn't you say anything sooner?" Asked Anthony. There was a pause before the dragon answered. **[To be honest... no ones ever asked me about anything.]**

This left both Asia and Anthony looking confused.

"What do you mean? We ask you allot of things" said Asia, as the dragons statement didn't make sense to her. Whether it was about Anthony's new arm or the effects of certain types of magic, the group usually asked Ddraig his opinion. The club treated him as much as a member as Anthony when he revealed himself during the 10-day training. Since then, he's been considered a valuable member of the team, providing them with knowledge that he accumulated over the years of his life-death-rebirth cycle.

He could get pretty vocal with those opinions, but still...

**[Well... I never had this before]** he said. "Er, had what?" Asked Anthony. **[This... people asking my opinions or just talking to me... like I actually matter, ya know? Allot of my conversations were just me to my current master and rarely to anyone else. Outside of that, I never had close relationships with anyone since I was sealed in here, just left to observe from the sidelines]** Ddraig admitted. "Seriously?" Asked Asia, feeling surprised at this, and also feeling bad for Ddraig himself.

Anthony did too... he had no idea...

**[Yes. I was always overshadowed by my master. People would be like: _'oh look, its the amazing Red Dragon Emperor'_... but never actually me, just who wields my power. The only exception was the one before Anthony. He was the first one I was really close too, but never to those around him. This Occult Research Club though... its a nice change of pace] **Ddraig said, which Anthony and Asia immediately understood. Ddraig must've felt like nothing but a tool his entire life after being destroyed physically, and then being constantly reborn spiritually.

It was kinda weird Ddraig called the club _This_ and not_ The_, but Anthony brushed it off thinking it wasn't that important.

Anthony put his other hand on their shared hand. "We're glad to have ya, partner. Your as much of a member as all of us" said Anthony. Ddraig began to tear up a little. **[R-Really? Y-You mean that?]** He asked, wanting to be sure he heard correctly. "Duh! If it wasn't for you, I might be dead before I had a chance to live" said Anthony. "And who knows what Freed would've done to me if you didn't Boost Anthony or warn him of his presence?" Said Asia, who had heard the story from Anthony before.

"And that's not even counting everything you did at the Rating Game and Wedding Crash. Ddraig... if the others were here, I'm sure they'd say the same thing" Anthony assured his dragon, to which said dragon felt touched. No one except his former master had EVER treated him with such respect. So much so, that the gem actually shed a tear. "Ddraig! You ok?" Asia asked, quickly. **[I-I-I'm sorry... n-no one's ever... told me that before. That was... nice of you. I just... need a moment]** Ddraig replied in-between sobs and trying to control himself, then his light vanished.

Anthony and Asia smiled at each other, thinking they helped out Ddraig.

Deep within the Sacred Gear where he couldn't be heard however, Ddraig was going over things in his head, and it was making him frantic. _**[ARGH! I can't! I can't keep lying to them! I wanna tell them, but I can't risk it either! Who knows what'll happen?... I don't even understand myself! Why is everything repeating itself? Altered yes, but similar nonetheless... does that mean everything will play out exactly as it happened before?]**_ Ddraig asked himself, before sighing and speaking to himself one last time:

**_[Issei... was there another way? Did we really do the right thing?]_**

-TIME BREAK-

Rias, Akeno, Sona and Tsubaki walk into some kinda of sauna. It had beautiful multi-colored rocks around a sitting area with a sink with 4 spouts on a pole in the middle. Each girl had a towel around them, which they then took off as they took seats around the pole. "Haven't been here in awhile" said Rias. "You came here often?" Asked Akeno. "Me and Rias gather here sometimes to chat, or tell each other secrets" said Sona. "This sauna was made for Sona's personal use. Since its directly connected to the Sitris' stronghold, no one gets in or out without permission" explained Tsubaki.

"Oh? So that's why you both didn't want Anthony to come. He might give Rias and I more attention" Akeno joked. "All we really do down here is complain about our families. Silly stuff like arguing with my parents... though Sona only ever complained about her sister" said Rias, jokingly as well. "About sweet Serafall? I never would've guessed" said Akeno, still messing around. "As nice as it is to reminisce over the past, there's an important matter to discuss" said Sona, getting to 2 Gremorys' back on topic.

Rias had always been bold with her statements, but they've become more-so ever since Anthony came along.

"So what are we here for this time?" Asked Rias. Sona looked at Rias silently for 2 seconds before answering. "Two members of the church approached me and Tsubaki this morning, they asked about you and requested to speak with you" said Sona, taking her glasses off and began cleaning them with a small circle of magic. "Speak with me?" Asked Rias. "Why would they want to speak with a Devil?" Asked Akeno. "They didn't say, just it was urgent that they spoke with Rias Gremory as quickly as possible" said Sona, putting her newly-clean glasses back on.

"What did you tell them?" Asked Rias. "Only where to find you, so they might be paying you a visit" said Sona. "They were also carrying Holy Swords... powerful Holy Swords. We even felt their auras from a distance" added Tsubaki. "That's allot to consider then. Why would they come to this town?" Rias asked aloud, her hand on her chin.

"There's something else..." Sona stated while looking down. "Isn't there always?" Rias said. "True... but your not gonna like it" said Sona, looking back up. "I already don't like the fact that members of the church are running around my territory willy-nilly, I think I can handle it" Rias assured her friend/rival.

Sona mentally sighed... if only Rias KNEW what she was about to say...

"One of them was VERY adamant, she requested a personal favor from you" Sona continued. "A favor?" Asked Rias. '"Yes. She wants... she wants to..." Sona said, muttering whatever it was she was gonna say. She knew Rias well, she _seriously_ wasn't gonna like this, no matter how many times the Gremory would assure her otherwise. "... What? What does she want from me?" Asked Rias, getting slightly annoyed. Tsubaki then giggled. "Not what... but who" she said.

"Who?" Rias repeatedly questioned. This was a strange request indeed. They already requested an audience with her, what else could they possibly want? "I tried to convince her otherwise, but she wouldn't have any of it. She asked if she... if she could see..." Sona stuttered, already predicting Rias' reaction. While all Devils cared about their servants to varying degrees, it was the Gremory's well-known reputation of being overprotective of them, especially their prized/favorite ones.

And if she knew Rias as well as she thought she did, a certain someone DEFINITELY fell into this category.

"Who? Who do they want, Sona?! Spit it out!" Asked Rias, fed up with Sona dancing around the subject. While she was prepared for almost anything, Rias was NOT prepared for the next 2 words that left Sona's mouth:

"... Your Pawn."

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Coglione**: means "mother fucker" in this instance, but more commonly "asshole".

2) **Taglia**: means "stop it" or "cut it out"


	32. Chapter 32

_From 54godamora:_

_Huh thought George would get a cameo here. My next chapter won't be up until this weekend. Hopefully. Curse you college!_

**Bakuganman**: Your OC will be making an appearance soon, and looking forward to seeing that chapter. Did I ever mention Dinosaurs X Devils yet? Its a 3-way between me, him and an author named Hareta Kuso... wait, that came out wrong. Why not the rest of you go give it a read on Hareta's page or mine?

_From Snake551g (Chapter 8):_

_ok did you even explain how he is still human and if he is yet again humans have extremely limited life spans he will die while everyone else is in there prime_

**Bakuganman**: Well, Snake551g, you brought up a good point. I did explain how Anthony remained human during he epilogue (assuming you've read up to this point), but the long term effects were saved for this season.

_From calderoneric758:_

_Okay this has to be a new timeline or something give us a bone or something man I'm losing my mind on this cause if it is where is issei_

**Bakuganman**: And ruin the fun of messing with you and everyone else? The fact is, I've already answered this question thru tiny details I placed here and there. I will give you this bone: starting now when he comes face-to-face with Xenovia... pretty sure you can guess his reaction to it.

_From damowatling (Chapter 1):_

_Hey I finally managed to start your story :D Love the premise here it makes for an interesting mystery. Was his home burned down by fallen angels or demons? Why was he targeted?_

_From damowatling (Chapter 2):_

_I love the Italian phrases you have included in this story it makes the style very unique, like a riled up Giorno Giovanna (JJBA). I also like the transitions between his calm and gentle side and his aggravated Italian side it makes the character very colourful._

**Bakuganman**: The first review has an answer once you read season 1. The second one however, you caught me (though I can't believe its taken this long). I admit that some of Anthony's personality traits was inspired by Italian culture and stereotypes, along with a pinch of Giorno's character to make him stand out a bit. I'm glad you and other people are enjoying it.

_From OechsnerC:_

_Wow. Wonder what happen if the world was reset. Ddraig is the only one with memory of issei. Awesome update. Looking forward to reading more._

**Bakuganman**: How the world was reset is hinted starting this season, but will be further explored in BORN and/or HERO. For now, Anthony's trying to work out what the hell is going on, as stated above in calderoneric758's response.

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 8: ****Complicated Coincidences - Part 2**

Rias' whole world felt like it shattered. In fact, she was sure she heard a shatter sound in her head! She didn't respond to Sona right away, just stared. "Heh. Is this a joke?... They trespass on my territory, and they have the nerve to ask for MY servant, MY ANTHONY?" Rias asked with a mix of pride, sarcasm and worry. Sona couldn't help but smile to herself, looks like she was right on the money.

Rias just sighed, calming herself a bit. "Alright... what exactly happened?" She asked Sona, to whom replied via flashback:

-FLASHBACK-

_Just about every student had headed into the main building, ignoring and leaving the 2 cloaked girls talking to 2 of the Sitris'. Perhaps they wanted to get to class, or maybe just share whatever popped up on their phones with their friends in person..._

_After telling both holy sword users what they wanted to know, Sona was about to walk around them when... "Wait!" Said one of the girls, her name being Irina Shidou, running in front of Sona. "I do have... uh... one request" said Irina, tapping her fingers together like she was nervous about something. "I'll relay it to Rias along with our conversation" said Sona. "Ok, good. I wanna know... does an Anthony Messuri go here?" Asked Irina Shidou. __Hearing Anthony's name made Sona stop dead in her tracks, the expression on her face giving away her knowledge on the person in question. "Oh great, you know him too, that makes this easier. Does he share classes with you? I'd love to see him again" Asked Irina, now innocently happy._

_"That's... not my place" said Sona, regaining her composure. Right as she began trying to walk away again, the second cloaked girl quickly got out the cloaked object at held it an inch form Sona's neck. __"My friend, asked you a question" said the blue-haired girl, her name being Xenovia __Quarta. Seeing as there were no students around, Tsubaki summoned a small magic circle in her hands, but then a sword ended up directly in front of her glasses. "Ah, ah, ah. No need for violence. I just wanna see Anthony again" said Irina, disturbingly cheerfully._

_"So, Devil... what's it gonna be?" Threatened Xenovia. Sona stood there, feeling the energy coming from whatever was underneath that cloth. It felt holy... VERY holy. Tsubaki was the same way, the sword near her was definitely of holy origin. Sona tried to calculate a possible way out. She could use her magic to create a giant water serpent to distract these girls... though that would cause a huge scene and Sona was supposed to keep her Devil heritage a secret like any Devil residing in the human world should (while there were some exceptions, the general rule was to not attract attention from the general public)._

_"... He's apart of Rias' club... You should see him there" Sona said nervously. With her answer, Xenovia pulled the cloaked sword away. "Thank you. We'll be on our way" said Xenovia, walking past Sona and leaving the school. Sona turned to watch the girls leave, and did notice Irina's facial expression. It looked saddened and shamed._

-END FLASHBACK-

"YOU TOLD THEM ABOUT HIM?!" Yelled Rias. "They held us at sword-point, our opinions were limited" Sona said. Looking back, maybe she should have been stronger, but when your life is literally a slice away from ending...

Of course Rias knew Sona didn't mean it, as she and Tsubaki DID have holy swords shoved in their faces, so Rias couldn't totally blame them. Just a small cut from a holy sword could kill a Devil if not treated right away, regardless of said Devils strength... that didn't stop her from feeling worried and slightly aggravated. Rias stood up from her seat. "Thank you for the information, Sona. Akeno, we're leaving" said Rias, walking out of the sauna. "Er, yes ma'am" said Akeno, also getting up and following Rias out. As they left, Tsubaki giggled again.

"Something funny?" Asked Sona. "No, just cute. Sure Rias saved all of her servants, but she clearly has a favorite" said Tsubaki, bringing up Rias' behavior as soon as Anthony's name was brought up. "... Yes. Yes she does" Sona smiled, leaning back in her seat to finally relax.

-TIME BREAK-

Back in the ruined church where Irina and Xenovia were staying, Xenovia was just finishing her bath in a fountain while Irina was standing outside, looking up at the stars in sadness. She looked down at the picture she had of her and Anthony playing together. _'So its true... he IS in league with them...' _she thought, but then shook it off. _'But there's no way he did it willingly! This Rias bitch must've forced him... she HAD too!' _She thought again, but then calmed herself down with the following:_ 'Actually... she didn't say he was a Devil...' _

"Maybe I can still save him before its too late!" said Irina. "Do you really believe that?" Said Xenovia, who had finished her bath. She dealt with the fact they didn't have an actual tub; but nothing could beat a nice, hot shower right about now. Irina then clasped her hands together as if praying. "Of course! Anthony's my friend! He was a godsent, helping me in my time of need! The evil Rias Gremory must have put a magic spell on him or something" she said. "And how to you propose to free him? The power of love?" Xenovia asked, sarcastically.

She didn't expect Irina's face to get red... at least, not as red as it got.

"Uh, love?... I mean, yes! The love of the Lord! That'll sure to break whatever spell this Rias chick put on him!" Said Irina, taken aback but recovered quickly. Xenovia sighed. Irina was too optimistic for her own good. "Irina... you remember the report, right?" Asked Xenovia. "Uh huh" Irina said. "About how a human was seen and left for dead in the park?" Xenovia continued. "Y-Yeah" said Irina. "So how did he magically go to school the next day like nothing happened?" Xenovia said. It was here that Irina started putting the pieces together on what Xenovia was saying. "Irina... I'm sorry, but your friend Anthony... he's gone. He's a..." Xenovia explai...

SLAP!

...

...

...

It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but Irina had just slapped Xenovia across the face, looking quite upset and also appeared to be holding back tears. Normally, the bluenette would cut down anyone who dared put their hands on her, but gave a pass to Irina. Not only because she was her partner and friend, but also because this was a complicated situation. Anthony clearly had an effect on the poor girl, and he was now on the opposite side.

"Don't... say it. He's not... he's not one them!" Irina declared, not wanting to accept what Xenovia was saying. "Irina..." Xenovia sighed. "Your wrong! He's not a Devil! There's no way he'd even THINK of becoming one! He's a good person! He's nothing the church made him out to be!" Irina said, tears starting to well up in her eyes upon having flashbacks to the sentence the church gave him. "He saved me... and he saved Asia! And after all this time, I can finally save him!" Said Irina. "So your going to deny the truth? Open your eyes, Irina! He destroyed this very church!" Xenovia raised her voice a little. "He was protecting someone!" Irina defended. "Regardless if he was or not, he still destroyed a house of God without a second thought! He's dangerous, he's destructive and more importantly, he's our enemy! HE'S A DEVIL FOR RIAS GREMORY!" Said Xenovia.

"YOUR WRONG! HE'S NOT! ANTHONY'S NOT A DEVIL!" Irina screamed, still in denial. "WHY ELSE WOULD HE BE A MEMBER OF RIAS GREMORY'S 'RESEARCH' CLUB FOR? A JANITOR? ITS JUST A FRONT! THAT CLUB IS AS EVIL AS THE DEVILS WHO RUN IT!" Yelled Xenovia. She didn't want to do this, but felt it was the only way to get it through Irina's thick skull.

Hearing "Anthony" and "Evil" being used in the same context caused Irina to snap. Without thinking, her eyes filled with anger; she gave a battle screech, lifted up her robes to show off an armband on her left arm and somehow drew a sword from it, slicing at Xenovia! Wide-eyed, the bluenette jumped back, avoiding the swipe by a mere centimeter! Irina was breathing raggedly, looking pissed and teary-eyed. As she took in a few more breaths, she calmed down and put the sword away slowly.

"I need _*deep breath*_... to be alone" Irina said as calmly as she could due to all the emotions swirling around in her body. "Irina, I..." Xenovia went to apologize, realizing she may have went a bit too far. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Irina cut her off, running off into the night. "IRINA!" Xenovia called out, but to no avail. "Shit..." she sighed.

-TIME BREAK-

Rias had finally arrived back in the Messuri apartment via magic circle, looking as worried as she did when she left Sona's stronghold. She teleported to the kitchen, assuming that's where Anthony was. She did smell a nice aroma, and on the counter under a heating lamp was a dish... it was actually her favorite food, udon noodles! Of course, she could tell Anthony had put a touch of his culture into this dish, having fresh herbs and sweet-smelling basil. Hopefully, these won't come to life like last time...

-FLASHBACK-

(**AN**: Another DxD Special. Thankfully, this one had subtitles so I got the gist of what was going on this time.)

_Koneko was currently holding a running-in-place Anthony by the back of his shirt without effort. Currently, Sona and Tsubaki were in the club room in aprons and using Rias' desk as a table for kneading dough in 2 large bowls, one for each Devil to work on... and doing it incorrectly by Italian standards, which was torture to the dragon host._

_"NOOOOOOOO! YOUR SUPPOSED TO USE YOUR FINGERS! NOT JUST YOUR PAAAAAAAALMS!" Anthony cried. "They can handle it, dough-boy" said Koneko, which got Anthony to stop moving and slouch over with his arms hanging down in defeat. "The things you say really hurt sometimes" he moaned. "Its tradition to make the dough from scratch. Don't Italians' love tradition?" Said Akeno, finding it humorous how Anthony was acting around dough. It appeared the stereotype was true..._

_"Hey. **I** know my dough! Tradition, is done in the kitchen!" Said Anthony. Regardless of the side-bet that Rias and Sona made at the dodgeball match (which he was only learning about now), it was still agonizing to see precious dough handled this way. __Sona wiped sweat from her brow. "How's it looking, Tsubaki?" She asked her Queen, ignoring Anthony's side comment/cry to: 'at least wear a fucking hairnet'. "Just a... bit more..." said Tsubaki, not stopping from her work though she appeared to look as tired as Sona did. "I suppose it can't be helped... we'll lend you a hand" offered Rias. "YES! And tell her too..." Anthony started, but..._

_POW! THUD!_

_Koneko let go of Anthony's shirt, only to jump up and elbow him on the top of his head, knocking him out. __"We don't need your pity. We lost fair and square, so we'll pay the price" said Sona, ignoring the antics of 2 of the ORC's members. "I assure you, Sona; we just want good udon" Rias said. "Udon is the pinnacle of creation" said Koneko. "Then why not let me..." Anthony's face-first muffled voice from the floor said._

_STOMP!_

_Only to be silenced by Koneko's foot to the back of his head, releasing an equally muffled whine. __The female members of the ORC joined forces with 2 Sitris' by stamping on the dough with their feet. So the grains could even out or something, Anthony didn't fully hear exactly what was said, mostly since his brain was still fuzzy. He understood that was also tradition, but he hoped their feet were at least clean. __He had to admit though, Sona and Tsubaki cut like professional chiefs once the pounding of the dough was complete. And Saji said Sona and cooking didn't mix..._

_Over a pot of what Anthony could guess was the soup, Sona summoned a Magic Circle over it. "Aw, HELL NO!" Anthony stomped over, but Rias was the one to stop him this time by pulling him back by the shirt. "It's fine, Mister Ramsay. Sona does this all the time, it makes the food good" said Rias. __"Bullshit! __Good food is made with love! Not magic!" Anthony declared. __"You and Asia used magic to make us a big lunch" countered Rias, finding Anthony's aggravation amusing. "__That was prep! It's different!" Anthony countered back._

_While Rias was "arguing" with Anthony, Asia looked impressed at Sona's technique. However, she accidentally knocked over some raw eggs and it spilled all over her, getting everyone's attention. The poor girl. "Momma Mia. Let's get you cleaned up" said Anthony, choosing to stop his debate with Rias. "I'm serious, Rias! Magic and food don't mix!" Called Anthony as he helped Asia out. "It'll be fine!" Rias called back. What no one noticed though, was that Sona's magic circle flickered upon her getting distracted by Asia's accident..._

_Once Anthony returned with Asia, the udon noodles were ready and being served by Tsubaki. "Welcome back, your just in time" she said, filling up the remaining 2 bowls that belonged to Anthony and Asia. "Thanks for the grub" Anthony thanked, taking apart his chopsticks. "It looks delicious!" Said Akeno, blowing on her noodles a few times. "They do! They look bustling with freshness!... See, __Anthony? Their perfectly fine" said Rias, rubbing in what she said before. "Just shut up and manjia..." Anthony said, with half-closed eyes and glancing in her direction. __"Er... yes. H-Help yourselves" Sona said, sounding nervous, but only Tsubaki noticed this.  
_

_Not even two seconds after Rias was about to eat..._

_*Wiggle. Wiggle, wiggle.*  
_

_Everyone that was about to eat just stared, trying to process what they were seeing. __"IIIIIIII think its a bit TOO fresh" stated Anthony, also processing this._

_WHIP! (4x)_

_"AAAAAAAAH!" (3x)_

_For reasons unknown; the udon noodles came to life and wrapped up Rias, Asia, Akeno and Koneko... the first 3 were the only ones to yelp in surprise, the fourth one just looked annoyed. "They're alive! The noodles are aliiiiiiiiiiiive!" Said Asia, but one on the noodles wrapped itself tighter around her right upper thigh, causing her to moan. The noodles also wrapped around the girls' hip and chest areas, some more than others... Akeno seemed to be enjoying it though..._

_Anthony and Kiba just looked up with open mouths, then eyed Sona for an explanation. **[Dinner AND a show]** Ddraig said out loud. "My apologies. I put more magic in than I should have when Asia fell" Sona admitted, looking both ashamed and embarrassed while adjusting her glasses. "Really?" Anthony 'asked'. "Yes. I accidentally invigorated the noodles" Sona said._

_"And me and Kiba aren't effected... why?"_

_"I was thinking about making Rias the best udon she ever tasted."_

_"Soooooo... plot convenience?"_

_"Stop discussing it calmly, and get us down!" Said Rias, then a noodle tightened around one of her butt cheeks and squeezed, she grunted to hold in the moan her mouth wanted to let out. Sighing, Anthony got out his Boosted Gear, Boosted once; and fired 3 beams above him without looking in the direction of a girl to disintegrate the noodles holding Akeno, Asia, and Koneko; one-by-one. They fell to the floor on their rumps, though Koneko somehow landed on her feet like a cat despite being upside down, safe and sound. __Except for..._

_ "AAAAAAAAH!... ANTHONYYYYYYY!" Rias called/moaned out for help, a noodle now squeezing one of her tits._

_Anthony just slurped up some of the noodles (which weren't too bad), chews whats in his mouth, swallows, then shrugs without looking up. "... Love. Not magic__" was all he said before going back to eating again, tuning out the moaning._

-END FLASHBACK-

Curious, Rias took the chopsticks next to the bowl and tried some. It was still warm, and it tasted divine! She also just noticed that next to the bowl, was a hand-written sign next to it saying: _Made with Love, for the 'Crimson Ruin Princess'_. Rias couldn't help but smile. Always the jokester, he even saved dinner for her...

She then realized why she rushed home. Wiping her face with the napkin that was left under the chopsticks, Rias looked through the rest of the house. Her search lead her to Anthony's room upstairs, light was coming from under the door and she heard talk about money. Not knowing what to expect, she summoned a small magic circle with Destruction Magic at the ready. Narrowing her eyes, she approached the door and reached for the knob slowly. Once she put her hand on it...

-TIME BREAK-

Anthony was sitting at his computer, putting the finishing touches on a video he made. Before that however, he and Asia did make dinner and had a nice time, then they both went into his room after they cleaned up. Checking his Channel, he noticed his subscriber count had doubled... probably because of _them _being shared.

Asia was sitting on his bed, admiring what Anthony had. She couldn't imagine 200 people being interested in her, let alone it double in a single day! "So, what exactly do you do for YouTube?" Asia asked. "Eh, just give my opinion on stuff or play games... and the nuns said playing video games for the rest of my life would amount to nothing" said Anthony, also adding in a small joke about nuns and older people in general, who didn't understand video games. Now millions of people make millions around the world thanks to them... go figure.

"Do you get paid?" Asked Asia, a little interested herself. "I could, but creators I'm friends with say its stressful. So I'm gonna wait awhile before I ask for it" said Anthony. "Oh, ok... I was wondering cause..." Asia began. "You feel bad living here for free?" Anthony smirked. Asia blushed. He always could read her like a book. "Well, er I... its not that..." the ex-nun stumbled. "Asia," Anthony got her attention. "Really, I don't mind. Even if the entire club starts living here, I'll STILL pay for everything" said Anthony, which Asia smiled at. **[Your gonna regret saying that...]** Ddraig commented. "Oh, really? What makes you say that?" Anthony asked.

Before Ddraig could answer...

SWOOSH!

The door flew open, Rias having pushed it as hard as she could. She then looked at the scene in front of her with a hardened glare, then it softened into confusion. "Rias? WOAH, RIAS! Were the noodles THAT bad?" Asked Anthony, noticing Rias barge in and then jumped out of his seat with his hands up in defense upon seeing Destruction Magic in her hand. Rias' face softened even more into relief, so much that she almost cried tears of joy due to her eyes glazing over.

SMOOSH!

Then pulled both Asia and Anthony into a hug.

"I'm so glad your safe! I assumed the worst had happened! I'll promise I'll keep a better eye on you" said Rias, appearing to talk to both Asia and Anthony, though her wording told them she was directing it to one of them... she also hugged a certain male tighter. Speaking which, both Italians shot a glance at each other, not fully understanding what was going on or why Rias was acting this way. "Uh, ma'am?" Asked Asia. "What is it?" Rias asked, relived. "Fhest" Anthony muffled out, as his face was basically shoved into Rias' chest. "Of course" said Rias, releasing both her servants from her grasp. She then started undoing her shirt without hesitation. "Anthony, I think I spoil you too..."

GRAB!

Anthony, breaking out of the trace he was in upon seeing Rias start 'unwrapping', quickly grabbed Rias' hands before anymore damage could be done. "_*deep breath in*_ Allettante, buuuuuut..." Anthony said, then nudged his head towards a jealous Asia who let out a: "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

This didn't stop both of them from sleeping with him... again... and naked...

-TIME BREAK-

**[WELSH DRAGON - OVER BOOSTER!]**

Anthony's eyes shot open upon hearing that, was Ddraig activating their Balance Break now?... Nope. But he did find himself in the schools courtyard, where the ORC was looking at... him?! Wait a second, that can't be him!

"No one hurts the people I care about! I don't care who they are!" Said the Balance Breaker, but Anthony recognized the voice immediately. It was that Issei kid. "Him again? What's he doing here?" Anthony asked out loud. Looking around him; he saw Azazel (missing an arm for some reason), all members of the ORC, a boy in girls clothing, Sirzechs, Grayfia, a girl with blue hair and green bang, an older Irina and an angel (an actual one and to Anthony's surprise, not a Fallen One). The only new face Anthony saw was a cute girl with thinner ponytails than Irina; this person also looked related to Sona in a way.

"Look, Albion. The boys power has gone up exponentially" said a second voice that Anthony also recognized. It belonged to that Vali guy. Looking up, Anthony saw a smaller version of the white dragon looking down upon the group, though his attention was now focused on Issei. And Albion... that was the name of the white dragon Ddraig told him about, right? This didn't make sense, they were bigger last time.

**[The Sacred Gear uses strong feelings to sustain its power. Your facing pure rage from him right now... well done. That's one of the most appropriate ways of drawing out the dragon]** said a third voice, once again Anthony had heard before. Apparently, this Vali guy was the host of the white dragon, Albion. Speaking of which, the dragon sounded proud of its host. "So what your saying is, I'm even better at drawing out his dragon than he is at being one?" Vali 'asked'. Already, Anthony didn't like this Vali. He sounded so arrogant and cocky to the most annoying extreme, not like the last one. At least the other Vali sounded like he was having fun... despite the Juggernog Drive devouring his life energy or some shit. Anthony also took his taunt to Issei as a personal insult, as Ddraig was his partner too.

Issei, in a fit of rage, took flight at Vali, bringing out some kind of a blade. Both dragons dashed off, colliding at certain points. Both their aura were flaring, the intensity could even be felt by those on the ground.

"ISSEI!" Rias called out, running toward the insuring battle. "Rias! NO!" Anthony tried stopping Rias, as he could tell from both sight and first-hand experience if she got too close to _**that**_... bye-bye Rias. But just like last time, his hand went through anything it attempted to touch. It was actually Sirzechs, who reached out at the same time as Anthony, that was the one to stop her. "Let me go! He needs me!" Said Rias. "Yeah, and I need YOU alive!" Said Anthony but again, he didn't appear to be heard either. "At this point, both their auras have passed your limit. If you get too close to either of them, you'll burn and die" warned a concerned brother. (**AN:** Changed the line because it didn't make sense to me. If Issei and Vali's power surpassed their limits, shouldn't SOMETHING had happened to them too, NOT just Rias?)

"But I... I can't just sit here and watch this" said Rias, worried for Issei's safety. Anthony also looked concerned, but he had faith in the Red Dragon's power. He'll...

**Vali**: Weak. Your too WEAK!

POW!

**Issei**: GACK!

Issei either missed his target, or Vali overpowered him, it was hard for Anthony to tell from his position. What he did know, is that DEFINITELY hurt. To add insult to injury, Vali's Gear said "DIVIDE" and that caused Issei's aura to vanish, also making him fall to the ground hard.

"Are you alright?" Rias called out. "A-Okay... ya don't have to worry about me..." said Issei, even as he clearly struggled to stand after only getting socked once. Despite not knowing the guy, Anthony felt sorry for him. In fact, he saw allot of a similarities to their personalities. They both fight for their friends and clearly care a great deal about them, as well as assuring said friends everything is fine even when its not... minus the whole: _using Rias' fruit baskets as rechargeable batteries_ thing.

Anthony continued watching the battle (since he couldn't do much else anyway) and while he now outright despised Vali for attacking/threatening to attack innocent bystanders (though Issei did protect them), he was quite impressed by the unorthodox strategy that Issei kid came up with. It was a risky play, and could have easily backfired; but he redirected more power Vali to immobilize his Balance Break due to him, like anything else, having a limit. Though Ddraig neglected to tell Issei that dragons continue fighting until one is knocked completely out... Anthony knew how that felt.

Then Issei picked up one of the gems from... wait a second. In the first dream, Issei said something about Vali's gear on the floor... was this what he meant?

**[I AM THE MASSIVE POWER, KNOWN AS THE RED DRAGON EMPEROR! WE WILL SURVIVE THIS TOGETHER AS TRUE PARTNERS! ISSEI HYOUDOU! ARE YOU READY?]** Roared the voice of Ddraig, as Issei held the white dragons orb and his own green gem was glowing. "YEAH!" Issei agreed. "What can you do so late in the game?" Asked Vali, unimpressed at Issei's sudden confidence. "Listen you Vanishing Dragon Dickhead!" Issei yelled. "This is where... I TAKE YOUR POWER!"

SLAM! SHINE!

As soon as Issei slammed that gem into his right arm, he let out a blood-churning scream while he held his glowing arm, like it was in pain. Anthony tried to keep looking, but the light just got brighter and brighter until it blinded his vision, so much he had to shield his eyes again in the same fashion as the last dream.

FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

His eyes opened again to find himself in his bedroom, once again bedded with 2 naked women on each side of him. Just another dream. He looked at his clock. It was 3AM in the morning... sounded like a terrible/lazy YouTube trend, but like that'll ever happen, right? Anthony closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Not much else he could really do.

-TIME BREAK-

A male Fallen Angel flew into a stronghold of some sort. After landing, he walked past a few fellow Fallen who were talking amongst themselves. The male Fallen made his way to some kind of throne room, where another Fallen Angel was sitting upon, having 5 pairs of black-feathered wings. He was also resting his arm on one of the armrests the throne came with, holding up his head that had closed eyes.

"Ahem... L-Lord Kokabiel, sir?" Said the Fallen Angel, shaking in the presence of the stronger Fallen Angel. It was mostly because Kokabiel had a bit of a temper, so he was trying to be careful with what he said.

Kokabiel's eyes opened at the sound of his name, revealing he had evil red eyes. "You better have a good reason for disturbing me" the Fallen Angel warned, to which the lesser Fallen Angel shivered at. Kokabiel's voice alone radiated power. "Um... well, the New Holy Sword Project is coming along nicely, 3 of the 7 pieces of Excalibur have been recovered" said the Fallen Angel. "Ah... good news for a change. How about Valper and his wife?" Asked Kokabiel. "They are quite intelligent for mere humans, aren't you concerned they'll find out the tru...?" The Fallen Angel said.

Kokabiel flared his power in response, effectively shutting the other Fallen up. "They're smart, but not _that_ smart. Speaking of, has the church sent out any subordinates to fetch the swords we _borrowed_?" Said Kokabiel. "Just two. An Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou" reported the Fallen Angel. "Heheh, perfect. It's all going according to plan" Kokabiel said, finding the chain of events amusing. He hasn't had this much fun since the Great War ended.

He then opened a magic circle in his hand, and it acted like a camera. In it; he saw Anthony, Rias and Asia eating breakfast together. The Italian got upset about something, but calmed down after Rias reassured him. "Heheheh... the son shall pay for the sins of his father..." recited Kokabiel. Watching further, he saw Anthony and the girls with him head to a car, most likely his. Kokabiel closed the circle and looked back down at the other Fallen Angel. "Oh... and be a dear, and the let the dog out for a walk. Heheheheheh."

-TIME BREAK-

"THEY DID WHAT?!" Said Anthony, now upset. Rias had just told him and Asia at the breakfast table that 2 members of the church had gone up to Sona and Tsubaki, and threatened them in broad daylight. She wouldn't tell Anthony their names though, saying it was complicated, and that it was already taken care off. That didn't stop Anthony from feeling mad, but he did calm down somewhat. At least he knew what got Sona and later Rias so worked up yesterday.

After breakfast and cleanup; Anthony headed downstairs to a car with Rias and Asia following him. It was a white Tucson van. "You actually have a car?" Asked Rias. "How else to you think I got around? Just my bike?" Asked Anthony.

Rias nor Asia answered that.

Anthony hopped in and started the engine. "Come on, it won't bite" he said. Both girls did just that, with Rias getting in the front passenger seat while Asia took the back (Anthony half-expected them to argue about that, but they didn't). As Anthony drove out into the street, Rias spoke up. "So, where are you going? We have to get to school soon" she asked, as he went in the opposite direction. "Oh, just a quick stop to Viva Home. Need to pick up some things" Anthony said. (**AN:** Viva Home is basically Japan's version of Home Depot)

After driving there; Anthony bought some nails, hammers, screws, screwdrivers and a REEEEEEALLY long piece of wood. Why? He wouldn't say, just that it was apart of a "master plan". While the tools fit easily, the wood was another story. He had the bright idea to open up the trunk, and slide the wood in. When the wood proved to be too long, he slid it through Rias' passenger window instead, which allowed him to close the trunk. She was still able sit in it, but now couldn't get out of the car unless she teleported. The wood also stuck out the side of the car like a lance the knights of old used for jousting.

"Did you really have to do this?" Asked Rias. "Sometimes, ya gotta work with what ya got" said Anthony, getting back into his seat and putting his seat belt on. "Well, why not rent a truck?" Asked Asia, as that sounded easier. "Heheh, we don't need to pay ¥3300 (**AN:** roughly 30 US Dollars) an hour for a quick trip. We're not renting a truck" Anthony chuckled. "I don't know... the woods longer than the car" observed Rias. "So is mine, ya don't see me renting bigger pants" Anthony said. "And I'm SURE you'll need them to stop attracting attention, but maybe you should..." Rias said, adding to the joke, but once she started voicing her opinion, Anthony cut her off.

"Relax... I know what I'm doing" Anthony said, starting the engine and leaving the parking lot. Their was a traffic light that lead to the road from the plaza they were in, which was on red so Anthony had to stop. "There, see? Its PERFECTLY FINE!" Said Anthony, then leaned to Rias overdramatically upon saying 'perfectly fine'. The crimson Devil just rolled her eyes, knowing what he was referring too. Maybe she SHOULD trust him this time...

The light changed to green, Anthony went back to normal and...

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! CRACK!

A human driver blew through the red light in a truck. While he did make it, he also destroyed the perfect plank of wood Anthony had just bought. "HEY! WATCH WHERE YOUR GOING, ASSHOLE!" Anthony yelled with his head out the window, not the the other driver could hear him as he/she was long gone. It was also here that Anthony saw the damage... and just stared at it.

**Asia**: ...

**Rias**: You should've gotten a...

**Anthony**: _(cuts her off)_ We're not renting a truck.

-2nd ATTEMPT-

Back to square one, Anthony once again got to the same traffic light. It changed to green, but Anthony looked both ways twice this time. Driving out...

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! CRACK!

**Anthony**: _(stares while holding onto the wheel)_ ...

**Asia**: ...

**Rias**: ... Why don't you just...?

**Anthony**: _(cuts her off, clenches teeth to stay calm)_ We're not. Renting. A truck.

-3rd ATTEMPT-

Back to square one, again, Anthony pulled up to the traffic light. It changed, but Anthony didn't drive out this time.

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

**Asia**: Phew, that was a close one.

**Anthony**: _(starts driving)_ Yeah, I know. That would've been...

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! CRACK!

**Anthony**: _(stares while clenching the wheel tightly. He was also vibrating and biting down on his lips)_ ...

**Rias**: _(opens mouth to speak, but decides against it and closes it)_ ...

**Asia**: ... _(slowly points back to Viva Home)_ We could... just rent a...

**Anthony**: _(yells)_ WE'RE NOT RENTING A TRUCK!

**Ddraig**: **[Why not just teleport, THEN come back for the car?]**

**Rias**: ...

**Asia**: ...

**Anthony**: ... _(slams head into wheel)_

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!

-TIME BREAK-

After entering one of Rias' teleportation circles and dropping the wood off back at the house, the friends were about to leave for school when Rias got a call from her family via a smaller magic circle around her ear. She said it was family business and she'll need to take the day off. Anthony couldn't help but feel bad for Sona, having to write all kinds of passes for Rias. The King was kind enough to open a new portal so her Bishop and Pawn wouldn't be late, but once Anthony was about to step in and follow Asia, he felt something grab his shoulder. "Ri?" He asked, turning to face Rias. "Anthony... I have to ask you a favor" said Rias. "Sure, whatever you need" said Anthony. "Can you... come with me?" She asked him. He wasn't sure, but were her cheeks red, or was it just the shade from her hair? "What for? Didn't you say it was family business?" Asked Anthony.

Truth be told, it was a white lie on Rias' part. Though the magic circle she opened on her ear was a ruse, she DID have to go to the Underworld for a few errands anyway.

"I do, but... I've seen your world and... I was wondering if you'd... want to see mine?" Asked Rias, now her cheeks were clearly red. Was was wrong with her? She just wanted to spend some time with him... at Sona's expense job-wise, but no harm no foul, right? "Y-You mean... like a date?" Asked Anthony, caught a bit off-guard. "UUUUUUH! N-N-NO! Just..." Started Rias, but had no idea of a possible excuse. What's up with her? They tease each other all the time, yet NOW she feels embarrassed?

**[I'm pretty sure this classifies as what one would call a "date"]** said Ddraig. "ITS NOT A DATE! I just... need some support, that's all! Stressful being a daughter of a rich family" said Rias, which Anthony could somewhat understand. It was no secret that the Gremory's were indeed very wealthy. Anthony's parents were kinda the same way, so maybe the girl just needed a bodyguard for the paparazzi or something. **[Ma'am... I've been around the block for over 200 centuries. Don't insult my intelligence]** Ddraig sassed back. "Yet, he can't beat a white lizard without a host body" Anthony commented.

BA-DUM!

"ARGH!"

**[Try me again. Next time I'll implode it]** Ddraig warned, which got Anthony to shut his big mouth. Giggling to herself on Anthony's and Ddraig's antics, she opened up a new portal. "We'll take my car" said Rias, giving her usual smirk. Dear God, what was she up too? Leading the way, Rias and Anthony walked into the portal.

FLASH!

-TIME BREAK-

At the ORC clubhouse; Akeno, Asia and Koneko were sitting there alone. Akeno was going over some contracts on Rias' desk, Koneko was sitting on the sofa in her usual spot eating her usual snack, and Asia was on the opposite couch. The door suddenly opened, getting the ORC's attention. "Rias, I can't keep writing you and Anthony passes... where's Rias?" Asked Sona, who entered without knocking. She looked back and forth with her eyes, but didn't see her friend/rival anywhere, nor her favorite piece. "Oh; me, her and Anthony did some shopping this morning, but then she got a call from her brother or something. I just got here myself... actually, he was right behind me" said Asia. "Kiba took the day off too, must be nice" Koneko stated in her usual dry tone.

Sona just sighed. "Well, when you see her, tell her the school board is getting suspicious why Rias and a transfer student are getting freebies every other day. I can't keep risking my job" she said. "Is that the _only_ reason you came by?" Asked Akeno, with a knowing tone. Sona walked over to the desk, and placed a slip of paper on it. "This is the LAST pass I can give her" Sona said, her head hung in defeat. "We'll be sure to let her know once she returns" Akeno smiled, while Sona just bowed and left the room. Ugh, the things she does for that girl...

-TIME BREAK-

**Anthony**: 30 SPORTS CARS?!

Indeed. In the flash of the Gremory Magic Circle, they ended up in a HUGE garage with 30 different makes and models of sports car... there might have been more, but it was hard to tell since they were all the some color and blended together. Being red, to no one's surprise.

"I also have a convertible and a saloon" said Rias, enjoying seeing the jaw-drop on Anthony's face. "I fucking hate you..."whined the Italian. He then had to wait for Rias to pick a car, which took about 10 minutes. The first 5 she kept second-guessing herself. She eventually went with the red saloon. "Like a good neighbor, Satan Farm is there" said Rias then out of nowhere, a random guy in a business suit popped up. Anthony's mouth dropped again. "Your covered, Miss Gremory" smiled the man. "Thanks, Arron" Rias smiled back, then the man poofed out of existence. Magically summoning a set of keys, Rias saw Anthony's face.

"The hell was that?" He asked. "What was what?" Rias asked. "I thought that was just a special effect!" Said Anthony, after thinking about it for a moment. "Oh, come on. Everyone knows all Car Insurance companies are Devil owned and operated" said Rias, now understanding why Anthony appeared confused. Getting an idea, Anthony spoke. "I have Geico Insurance, so person come help."

What appeared, was an old lady on an old wall-mounted phone while cooking.** [Isn't that your Grandma?]** Asked Ddraig. "15% IN 15 MINUTES, MY ASS! BEEN ON HOLD FOR 5 HOURS!" Said the old lady, then she disappeared. Anthony and Rias just stood there, with the Devil looking over at Anthony in amusement. **[You were hoping to see the Gecko, weren't you?]** Asked Ddraig. Anthony just spoke up, in an annoyed tone. "Can we just go, please?"

Getting into the chosen car with Anthony, Rias drove the car out of the garage. Anthony happened to look back and see they were exiting a castle, which must have been Rias' home. Damn, it was big.

Seeing more of the Underworld this time around was fascinating. Instead of a sky-high view, Rias was driving him around. Streets were clean, sidewalks had no litter, and people looked happy here. Plus, they looked at the car as it would come down the street and smile, signifying they knew who it belonged too even if the windowed were tinted. Rias' first stop was a small store on the side of the road, which she had to park in front of. It was kinda like Anthony was back in the city of New Jersey/New York, so he was now feeling a bit more comfortable. Taking the keys out of the ignition and turning the car off, Rias stepped out of the car before looking back in and holding the door of the car.

This caused a noticeable breast bounce... does she do that on purpose, or is it really involuntary?

"Coming?" She asked, smiling down at him. "Let's do it" said Anthony, smiling up at her, opening his door and exiting the car himself. They even closed their doors at the exact same time. Once he went around the front of the car to met her, she locked the automobile up with a push a button and a _*beep beep*_ sound. They both then walked into the store together, side-by-side. "Ok, can you go and check aisle 5, see if they have blank club cards?" Asked Rias. "For the flyers?" Asked Anthony, though he already figured that was the reason. "For the flyers" Rias repeated. "Yes ma'am. Just don't go too far from me, I might get lost" said Anthony, shooting a quip. "I'll only be on aisle 6, getting cardboard for the school festival" said Rias, shooting back.

School festival? Isn't that like an open-day cultural thing for the middle of the school year? Then again, Rias is a president for a club, so maybe she's just trying to stay prepared. The two friends walked down to the 2 aisles they, then separated to get whatever supplies they needed.

Also... was it just Anthony... or were they getting odd stares?

After the shopping trip, they both went to get a bite at a small cafe... if this didn't qualify as a dating spot, then Anthony didn't know what did. Not that he was complaining though, it felt nice to spend some time with Rias. A lady took their order and was friendly... to Rias anyway, which was understandable. Her family WAS a major player in this 72 Pillars thing Rias had mentioned a while back, so of course they were gonna treat her differently. But would it really have killed her to be nice to him too? She was all smiles with Rias, but then sounded as enthused as Koneko when it came to him.

After the waitress left, Anthony happened to look around with his eyes... seriously, what was with the stares?!

"_*ahem*_ Rias" whispered Anthony. "Something wrong?" Asked Rias, in a low voice. "Not to be _that guy_, but people are staring. It's kinda creepy" said Anthony. "Oh, don't worry too much about it. Some Devils may not be used to humans, so your probably the first one they've seen" Rias explained, which made Anthony calm down a little. "Oh, ok. Well, if that's the case, then..." he started to say. "Alive" Rias added at the last second. "Oh... buono sapersi" said Anthony, Rias' addition making him pale. "Glad I can help" Rias said, not catching onto Anthony's mod and opened up her menu to look if their was anything else she wanted.

Anthony just sighed and sunk into his chair.

-TIME BREAK-

An hour later, after doing more shopping, Rias had to drive down a road that was literally next to the Familiar Forest. Out of Anthony's window; he saw small imps, small elven creatures (mostly female, due to the curves in the chest area), cat-like beings and even camels. Once Anthony mentioned that last one, Rias shuddered for some reason. Wonder why?

"I'm serious, Ri. People were just staring at me like I had the coronavirus or something" said Anthony. "I told you, its ok. They just aren't used to a living human walking around the Underworld" said Rias, assuring Anthony a second time. "And that makes me feel _soooooo_ much better" said Anthony, sarcastically. "Just give it time. I'm sure they'll come to love you" said Rias. "If you say so" said Anthony, deciding to drop it. Maybe she was right, he was just overthinking it.

"How's about some music?" Rias offered. "Oh, yes MA'AM! What bars does the Underworld got?" Said Anthony, happy for the change of subject. With a smile, Rias leaned forward and turned on the radio. "Good morning, Underworld," said a male voice from the radio. "It's looking to be a beautiful day out, 70 degrees; and our top story today is how Rias Gremory was seen running around with a human."

That got the attention of both friends, this was one of those eyebrow-raising moments. They both looked at the radio itself.

"Our sources say his name is Anthony Messuri, the Red Dragon Emperor, and is her only Pawn... yet he didn't reincarnate, and can't use Promotion properly. Such a waste, isn't it, John?" Continued the male voice. "Exactly right, Chuck. All the science that went into the Evil Pieces. Ajuka's probably shooting himself in the foot right about now" said a second male voice. "That's not even mentioning what Hades' will do when he finds out" said the first male, John. "I know! Poor bastards bones' are probably rattling in anger!" Said the man called Chuck, and both men laughed at their own joke.

"Wrong station" said Rias, quickly changing the channel with a click... though that talk show was quite tame in comparison to what came next...

**Stand-up Comedian**: ... And the Gremory's are probably like: I know, let's let our daughter bang some failed reincarnate that can't even promote!

_*small audience laughter*_

**Stand-Up Comedian**: Even better, why not have their wedding in the human world?! _(starts singing "Lemon" by Kenshi Yonezu)_

_*louder audience laughter*_

Anthony frowned. Annoyed, Rias changed it again.

(same beat as "Call Me Maybe") _"HEY! She just met him... and this is CRA-ZY! But he's a human! And she's a Devil!"_

Anthony's mood started to sour, as Rias flipped to the next station.

(same beat as "Bling Lights") _"We can't see how, she could be, with hiiiiiiiim!"_

Now Anthony was as annoyed as Rias was. She changed it a 4th time.

(same beat as "Friend Like Me") _"She's in the mood, for human dick, dude! You ain't never knew a whore like her!"_

At this point, Anthony was fuming, but held it in. Rias changed the station once more.

(same beat as "Sweet Little Lies") _"Rias is a Sluuuuuut! She's a sweet little Sluuuuuut!"_

CLICK!

More annoyed than the Devil next to him (and for good reason), Anthony shut of the radio with a little more force than necessary, then looked out the window. **[They REALLY aren't used to it, huh?]** Asked Ddraig, but his question went unanswered. Rias could understand how Anthony was feeling, she too was angry. The stations didn't even take into consideration his tragic past, why he can't promote properly and most importantly, how HARD he was trying! She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, driving in silence for a full minute.

...

...

...

"Ri?" Anthony's sudden voice took Rias by surprise, not expecting him to talk. He also sounded upset. "... Do you regret reviving me?"

SREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!

Rias slammed on the brakes, stopping the car, not expecting that to come out of Anthony's mouth. "... Excuse me?" Asked Rias, using a low tone and trying to keep her cool. Why the HELL would Anthony say something like that? "I said, do you regret..." Anthony started asking again, but Rias cut him off. "Don't you EVER! Say that again! Why the fuck would you ask me that, anyway?" Asked Rias, turning to him and getting a swirl of emotions. Anthony just gave her a face that said _'really?'_, and pressed the radio button without looking away from Rias' eyes...

(same beat as "Sweet Little Lies") _"Oh, no, noooo! She wants it in her butt!"_

CLICK!

The Italian still looked at Rias even after shutting it off, and held the stare for a few more seconds before looking sad. "... I mean... your basically a laughing stock now... because of me. The useless human Pawn. If I had know you'd get constant ridicule, I'd be fine with di..."

SLAP!

At lightning speed, Rias reached across the car and slapped Anthony, hard enough to make his head turn. She looked really upset, and held her silent glare for a few seconds before speaking. "... I don't regret it for a _second_ ... and neither should you" Rias admitted, her expression softening a little bit. "Anthony... you've given me more than any Devil ever could, even my own family. You saw the issue with Riser but instead of ignoring me, you helped deal with it and when THAT didn't work, you sacrificed your OWN ARM!" Rias brought up, emotional at the memory. "I don't want to hear anything like that out of your mouth again, you understand? No servant of mine, Devil or not, is to even THINK that way! You are FAR from useless cause if it wasn't for you... my life, would be over" said Rias, her tone now much softer.

Her gentle hand then cupped the side of his face. "Your the best servant a Devil like me could ever ask for... could DREAM of! And I'd gladly revive you a 1000 times over if necessary. Give them some time and I'm sure, they'll see EXACTLY what I see" finished Rias. Anthony looked a bit stunned, but then smiled and gently grabbed the hand cupping his face, setting them both down on the armrest between them. Rias once again felt a surge of warm emotions once he touched her. "...Thanks, Ri... I needed that" said Anthony.

"The slap too" he added. "Well, had to knock SOME sense into you" said Rias, getting her hand back and started driving off. "SOME SENSE? Your looking at the genius who figured out a Phenex's kryptonite, when everyone else just assumed he was immortal" Anthony said, in a mock-bragging fashion. "Which further proves my point. The Underworld doesn't understand you. But once they get to know you, they'll..." Rias started to say.

"HOLY SHIT! FERMA L'AUTO! FERMA L'AUTO ORA!" Anthony suddenly shouted, noticing something as he looked out the window. "WHAT! WHAT! WHAT!" Questioned Rias, wondering what the fuss was about. They passed a large billboard sign that said:

"_The Underworlds Largest Pasta Bowl_?! WE GOTTA SEE IT!" Anthony said, excitedly. The sign did in fact contain a large bowl of pasta, with meatballs and red sauce. "Anthony, this isn't a fun family road tr-..." Rias said, but by the time Rias looked back towards Anthony's seat, it was empty and his door was open.

5 seconds later...

BANG!

"AHHH!" Rias jumped at the sudden bang on the roof of her, looking up to the source of the noise. Out of the corner of her eye; she saw a red suit of armor climb back into its seat, close the door, and put its seat belt on before flashing out of existence (Rias was still driving the whole time). "Eh... it was pretty dumb. The gift shop was cool, though" said Anthony, with a hat on his head that said 'Prince Spaghetti Day', and a few souvenirs in his lap. He also pulled out a paddle ball (the paddle had a picture of pasta in red sauce, while the ball was painted as a meatball), and started using it with a goofy smile on his face.

Rias just stared at him.

...

...

...

"... You revived him" Rias said to herself while looking back to the road, yet out loud. As she continued to drive down the road, 2 pairs of eyes opened from the Familiar Forest, along with a duo of simultaneous growls...

* * *

Now the truck destroying wood, while an entirely original scene, may have seemed to be out-of-place for DxD; but it's actually a true story, word for word. I was shopping with some buddies at Home Depot, and the very same thing happened, which makes it even funnier. Me and one of my friends were basically Rias and Asia in this situation, while my third friend (the driver AKA Anthony) was so adamant that we not spend the money on a rental truck... yet spent more on multiple planks of wood. Had to somehow put it into the story, its one of those moments that you HAVE to share with others cause of how ridiculous it sounds... funny where inspiration comes from.

Also, I HAD to reference THAT scene from THAT movie, it was too good to pass up.

I also added a new concept, how the Underworld is ridiculing Anthony's existence along with Rias' companionship with him. Think about it, the first failed reincarnate? You think Devils that have used the so-called "perfect" Evil Piece System for the longest time are just gonna let that slide without question? Stories I've read never did this, even ones that follow canon to a tee. Just had all of Devil society accept it, which made no sense to me. Politics are also a HUGE thing for Devils, so wouldn't this also fall into that category? Figured I'd do a new dynamic, one that really begs the question if it was really worth reviving Anthony despite all the not-so favorable press.

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Allettante**: means "tempting"

2) **Manjia** (pronounced "MON-JA"): means "eat"

3) **Buono Sapersi**: means "good to know"

4) **Ferma L'auto**: means "stop the car"

5) **Ora**: means "now" or "right now"


	33. Chapter 33

2 months since last update, but so much has happened. The virus-that-must-not-be-named, people fighting on the floor for toilet paper at Wal-Marts, I have a new DxD fanfic that's a crossover with Sonic the Hedgehog... It's been crazy! I can't apologize enough, guys! I haven't forgotten about this story, just been busy with other things.

Now that we're back, we can pick up where Anthony's and Rias' date left off. But before we do, do go check out that new Sonic/DxD story I mentioned. It's actually doing very well despite being only 2 months old, and its not what your thinking, I promise you. The archive is full of that, so I guess that's why mine has gotten so much attention for being faithful to both sources. Let's just answer some reviews, and we can begin!

_From 54godamora:_

_This was really good and a lot character development. I skipped the dream sequence as I will never understand it and I refuse to. My favorite part is the day in the underworld and the part of human being disliked reminds me of the opposite back in the colonial period when humans persecuted "witches"_

**Bakuganman**: The dream sequences will be explained and why Anthony's having them later on. Had to do something original with Underworld Devils not liking (or the very least, not understanding) Anthony at first, since he's still human and all.

_From calderoneric758:_

_Really the last scene from the sonic movie I mean the movie was amazing but still that's hilarious and now I cant wait to see irina reaction on Anthony being a with rias_

**Bakuganman**: Had to use it, was too good to pass up. Speaking of Sonic, I have a new crossover with him if you or anyone wants to check that out. Its becoming increasingly popular based on traffic stats.

_From Ace:_

_Can't wait for the face off with Anthony and Xenovia. I really did like the Rias and Anthony date and how people would react. Although I do not think those people that called or sang about her being a "slut". How do they have the gall to do so when her brother is one of the four kings?_

_Also are you into punk rock?_

**Bakuganman**: Glad you liked it. Again, had to take an original spin on it. I've heard a few punk rock songs.

_From Azhar-Ryzevim:_

_Do you have any plans regarding Anthony's vision about seeing Issei Adventures?_

**Bakuganman**: Yes. Can't tell exactly what for as of now, but they will be explained as I already told 54godamora.

_From Omnisaurus:_

_(**AN**: A few reviews from multiple chapters)_

**Bakuganman**: Nice to see your back, though I'm gonna have to answer via bullet points.

1)_ Chapter 22_: The chapter was a bit iffy, I will admit; though can you blame me for 'princess in another castle?' When your Italian like me, you kinda get that reference thrown at you allot. Not that I'm complaining, its funny no matter how many times I hear it.

2) _Chapter 23_: Yup, that's how Asia and Anthony met, and their relationship began from there.

3) _Chapter 24_: Long prologue? I think you meant to say epilogue... then again, Season NEW began right after it, so either way. The fake-out proposal was something I enjoyed writing myself.

4) _Chapter 27_: So far, only you and a few others had spotted it, so congratulations.

5) _Chapter 30_: Yeah, the first half of this chapter was meant to be crazy. And yes, it was Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and I had Ddraig poke fun at her backstory. The scene with him and Anthony arguing was also a personal favorite of mine.

6)_ Chapter 32_: Great, you got the car insurance joke. And thanks for agreeing on the "Devils reacting to a human on their turf", seemed plausible to me and no one had attempted that yet, especially since Anthony failed to reincarnate.

_From redwarrioroflight:_

_Hello there, RWOL here leaving a review. I have some concerns but first let say this is a very unique concept you have here. Someone being reincarnated as a Devil but for some reason it didn't work properly and is still human. Something new. I like that._

_Secondly, is that you need to fix the mistake concerning who is talking. When you have a conversation between two characters, the conversation should not be in the same paragraph, but instead each character should have a sentence or more to themselves with a clear indication of who is talking. This is to insure that readers won't get confused with who is and isn't talking._

_Here is an example:_  
_"So everyone in the ORC are devils and I'm one now?" Anthony asked Rias as they ate breakfast._

_"Yes. I am Rias Gremory, a Pure-Blooded Devil while you and rest of the ORC are Reincarnated Devils and are members of my Peerage." Rias started off on what would be a somewhat lengthy explanation._

_As you can see, the two sentences clearly tell who is talking and saying what they're saying. The way you have it, is that one person speaks, then in the following paragraph another person speaks and then another person speaks. This causes some confusion in determining who is talking. Give each character their own sentence when they begin to speak and finish it off like I did in the example. And you should do the same for your other stories as well._

_Besides that, this is a very intriguing story with a unique premise of a human on a devil's peerage without being an actual devil. Keep up the good work._

**Bakuganman**: Yeah, the sentences thing is a bad habit. As ideas are flowing, the fingers are typing, ya know? Sometimes I type too much at once and forget to go back and fix dialogue. It should get better as you continue, thanks for the tip!

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 9: Complicated Coincidences - Part 3**

After minute of still hitting his new paddle ball, Anthony then threw it in the back seat. "Ok, I'm over it" he said. That's when he heard a few growling sounds. "Ugh, I'm SORRY I smashed into your car, ok?" Said Anthony. Rias looked at him like he was crazy "Huh?" She asked. "Yeah, there was no need to growl... still learning to how to fly this thing" said Anthony, looking at his arm that held the Boosted Gear. Rias found it sweet that he apologized.

Wait... growling? "Growling?... What are you talking about?" She said, asking Anthony what was he going on about. If he was talking about the car, sure she got startled, but she didn't care too much about it. It wasn't a big deal. And even if it was, she had over a thousand more anyway.

**[You may wanna speed up, Miss Gremory... like now]** Ddraig suddenly spoke up in warning. "Why?" Asked Anthony. He got his answer from a few barking sounds, making him and Rias flinch and look at each other slowly; then they looked out the back window by turning their heads even slower. Directly behind the car running after them was a huge dog with 2 heads! Both friends screamed, not expecting this.

Rias stepped on the gas petal harder, getting away from the two-headed dog just as one of its head would've snapped on the car itself. The dog then chased the car as if it was a chew toy, its mouth salivating. "WHAT FUCKING FAMILIAR IS _THAT_?!" Anthony shouted. "It's NOT a Familiar, its an Orthrus!" Said Rias as she drove off. "Seriously...? As in: _Guardian of the Underworld_? IT EXISTS?!" Said Anthony. **[That's a Cerberus, you idiot! THIS is an Orthrus!]** said Ddraig.

"Qual è la differenza?! It's a giant canino with multiple heads!" Anthony asked Ddraig. In response to that, Ddraig used their shared arm to grab Anthony by the chin so he was facing the dog still chasing them. **[Do I have to count them for you?!]** Asked Ddraig. "Why the hell is it all the way out here?! Hades and Geryon never take their eyes off of they're precious pups!" Asked Rias, though this was rhetorical as Anthony couldn't have/know the answer, and she wasn't sure if Ddraig knew despite his age.

**[We can play 20 questions later! JUST DRIVE!]** Ddraig shouted to the both of them, and he didn't need to tell Rias twice. As they continued to flee, the Orthrus snapped at the bumper on Rias' car. While it didn't get a good grip on it, it did manage to pick it up and make the rear end slam on the road, which also got the Devil and Dragon scared. "NO, FLUFFY! DOWN!" Said Anthony, which obviously didn't work. "Ddraig! Can you Balance Break and get that thing outta here?" Asked Rias, focusing on driving and avoiding the jaws of the Orthrus. **[Unless you want me to kill Anthony, then no. If only _someone_ hadn't gone gift shopping]** said Ddraig. "How was I supposed to know we'd get chased by a giant pug?!" Anthony said in defense.

**[BOOST!]** Ddraig activated the Boosted Gear himself and started charging energy, seeing as they couldn't do it the easy way. The Orthrus snapped at the car again, just barely missing the bumper it got its teeth on before. "RIAS! Burn him up!" Said Anthony, leaning over and taking the wheel. This didn't seem practical but due to the situation, Rias wasn't going to argue.

**[BOOST!]**

Leaning out the window, Rias held her hand out and blasted some Destruction magic at the Orthrus. Due to the angle of the shot, she missed, and got snarled at for her trouble. She tried again, but the beast had already moved to the side as soon as the magic took shape in Rias' hand, making her miss yet again.

**[BOOST!]**

Without telling Rias he let go, Anthony got his upper body out the window. He had an idea, but he needed to be quick. "Dragon Shot!" He called out. **[EXPLOSION!]** Said Ddraig, releasing all the stored power. Because of Anthony's quick thinking, the two-headed mutt had no time to react to Anthony's attack. A semi-thick beam of dragonic energy completely vaporized one of the Orthrus' heads, catching it off guard and throwing it off balance. It slid across the road, whining as it did so until it came to a stop. That's when Rias took back control of the car before it veered off the road.

"HA! That all ya got, ya big pooch!" Anthony taunted from out the window to the downed demon puppy, then sitting back in his seat.

It was then shown that Kokabiel was watching them via a magic circle of his own, but he didn't look mad at the fact the Dragon and Devil ruined his plan. Rather... he looked amused. "No, but thank you for asking" he said with a smile, while resting his elbow on his throne that was supporting his head. As he said this; the Orthrus' eyes, though closed, began to flutter.

Back on the road, Anthony and Rias continued driving back to the Gremory house. "That was a doggone good time, wasn't it?" Anthony said. Rias just smiled with an eye roll, half-expecting that comment. "Never a dull moment with you around" she said. "Pretty sure you got that backwards" Anthony said. Rias just closed her eyes for a second to shake her head in amusement. Ever since reviving Anthony, crazy shit has been happening left and right to not just her, but the entire ORC.

BANG!

Her thoughts were interrupted by the rearrival of the Orthrus, who tried flipping the car over from behind by using his head, still intent on catching the car despite losing a head. All that remained was a stump (but it'll grow back... eventually). Rias just looked back with a glare. First her own kind overreacting to Anthony's presence, now this? Can't she catch a fucking break?! "He's a guardian of the Underworld, right? Is he after me?" Said Anthony thinking since he isn't dead or a Devil, the guard dog was after him.

"Unlikely. That's Cerberus' job, and they never leave their posts" said Rias. "They?" Anthony squeaked. They? As in multiple? There was more than one Cerberus?! **[Exactly. The only thing Orthrus' guard are cattle]** Ddraig concurred. "So why the fuck's a demon cane pastore chasing Itsuki Nakano and her boyfriend?!" Anthony shouted. **[How should I know?! I'm a dragon, not a shepherd!]** Ddraig shouted back.

BANG!

The Orthrus tried flipping the car again, almost successfully this time! Anthony had another idea, which was even more reckless than the first one, but he couldn't think of anything else. "Ugh, fuck me sideways and call me a chew toy" he said, opening his passenger door, with the bell sound in Rias' car going off to symbolize this. "Anthony? What are you doing!" Rias asked. "Just keep the car steady!" Anthony said, as he began to climb out and on the roof. "Keep it steady?! ARE YOU OUT OF...?!" Rias asked again, but Anthony didn't hear the rest of it because he was now focusing on trying to stand on the car.

This works in action movies, so its safe... right?

It wasn't easy, but Anthony got on top of the car, facing the cattle guardian face-to-face. And damn was it creepy. It was completely covered in red fur, and had deep yellow eyes that seemed to pierce into Anthony's soul. It also didn't help that it had large teeth that could easily tear a car apart, let alone a human. It kinda reminded him of that sci-fi flick that dealt with a mutated anaconda that had two heads, and in that movie it ripped a human in two slowly with those heads as it ate its snack.

Thankfully, one of the heads were gone due to the Dragon Shot, only a neck stump was there.

**[BOOST!]**

With Ddraig boosting Anthony's strength, he swung at the single head the Orthrus still had. It was a direct hit, though it only caused the canine to look back at Anthony with a snarl after the impact. "Uh... sit?" Anthony... ordered?

SNAP!

The demon dog took a bite at Anthony, but missed because Anthony leaned to the side. He almost lost his balance because of this and not only would he roll along the road like an abandoned toy, but then he'd be at the mercy of this thing. He dodged another snap, but he fell on the roof of the car, and the only way to stay on was to grip the tops of the open windows.

Rias saw ahead was her families mansion/castle. If she could get there... "HANG ON!" She called out. "Hang on? Hang onto wha... AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Anthony asked, but Rias then sped up the car as fast as it would go. She outpaced the demon sheepdog, but then it sped up itself a second later. She just had to get closer... closer...

...

...

...

As she passed onto her families property, a large magic circle opened.

SPLAT!

"WHINE!"

The Orthrus slammed head-first right into an invisible wall of some kind, preventing it from catching its prey. Looking up, a long row of multiple Gremory Clan magic circles stretched left and right along the property, acting as a defensive ward of some kind. The dog clawed at it, then bit at it, but it could do nothing as it watched its chew toys get smaller and smaller as they disappeared in the distance. THAT'S when it sat down and whined.

Like before, Kokabiel was watching, but still didn't look angry. He looked more amused than before. "Go ahead... hide behind your King's family wards. But you can't run forever. In fact, we'll be meeting soon enough" said Kokabiel, looking at the scene with a grin.

-TIME BREAK-

Getting into the garage, Rias parked the car in the same spot as it was before. "You gonna stay up there all day?" She asked while looking up at the roof. Anthony was still holding on tightly. "... Give me two minutes" said Anthony, finding his body unable to move, the adrenaline still pumping.

It took a few extra minutes, but Anthony finally got down from the car. "Oh darn, I forgot to get red ink" said Rias as she realized she forgot something. "Red ink? For what?" Asked Anthony. "For the flyers" said Rias. "Don't you just infuse them with magic or some shit?" Asked Anthony. "Yes, but we still need to make it look like legit flyers" said Rias. "Great! Then we can go back out and play with fluffy" Anthony joked, which Rias understood. With that thing out there, it wasn't safe... at least, until Hades or Geryon decided to collect their lost pet.

"I might have some in my room" said Rias, and began to walk off when she heard Anthony follow her. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Going with you" said Anthony. Rias' mouth made a perfect circle, but nothing came out. "I... That's not necessary" said Rias. Anthony noticed she looked embarrassed for some reason... wonder why?

Rias realized if Anthony did follow her, it would be the first time a boy would step into her own room. She has dated a few boy Devils, don't get her wrong, but they never got close to this stage of the game. "Come on! It can't be worse than mine" said Anthony, trying to reassure her somehow. He lived in an apartment and while it was big, it didn't compare to his former home, nor Rias' home of residence. Not many people, even human celebrities, could afford what Rias' could.

Exhibit A - the garage they were currently standing in.

What Anthony said had the desired effect. Rias appeared to calm down. "Ok... but don't laugh!" She said. "Laugh?" Asked Anthony. Laugh about what?

-TIME BREAK-

After walking throughout the huge castle-like mansion, Anthony saw how amazing it was as he followed Rias. The Gremory's had a thing for gardens it seemed, as there must have been over 50 of them. There was even a theater and an auditorium, which Rias said the latter was only used every few years to entertain guests with plays and such. A few servants (maids and butlers mainly) bowed as Rias walked past and unlike in the Underworld Town, they also did the same to Anthony. That was a welcome change of pace, but he just waved at them nervously, not expecting them to do that.

Upon approaching what Anthony guessed was her room. She placed her hand on the knob, but didn't open it right away. After a few seconds, she finally turned it and opened the door.

It was... interesting. That was a word for it. Body pillows of anime characters, dolls, costumes (which was only noticeable from an ajar closet door), clay figures, artifacts... pretty much anything you can think of that a standard internet weeaboo would show off was present here, and then some more.

"... Your a... heh... a Japanophile?" Asked Anthony, not expecting this at all. Rias was full of surprises. First owning over a thousand cars, then has an insanely rich family, NOW she's a Weeb? Anthony couldn't help but let out a few chuckles, then laughed twice. "SHUT UP!" Rias said with a deeply red face, more red than her hair. "Why? That's fucking adorable" said Anthony, recovering from his small laugh attack.

Rias was about to yell at him again, but took into consideration his tone of voice. It wasn't like how it was when he jokes around or pushes someones buttons, rather... it was heartfelt and genuine. "... A... Adorable?" She repeated, blinking twice, not expecting that word to be used to describe her interests. People and Devils alike would make fun of her if they found out, with the exception of her family of course. She never told anyone else this, not even Sona or Akeno.

"You think your the only one? My friend George Anderson is like you... granted, its not anime, but that's nothing to be ashamed about. I think its cute" said Anthony, honestly. "C... Cute?" Rias blinked again, still not expecting those words to come out of anybody, much less Anthony, the jokester he was.

"If it makes you feel any better, I used to have a huge crush on this anime vampire chick. It was a better love story than Twilight... actually, she looks kinda like Asia, so its a bit weird now" said Anthony. He didn't get any merch on this vampire girl he spoke of as from mangas, but it was still enough for him to understand where Rias was coming from. Rias herself did feel a bit better, and honestly a little silly. She should've known Anthony wouldn't judge her. Hell, he took her side when no one else did.

Going through her drawers, she finally found some ink in what Anthony guessed based on some colored paper flying out was an arts crafts drawer. Did she still do that? Anthony couldn't tell, not like it mattered anyway. After that, the two friends left the room with Rias closing the door behind her and Anthony watching...

"You two've been in there for quite some time" said a voice. It was feminine, and had a teasing tone, but it was one Anthony didn't recognize. Based on Rias almost jumping out of her skin however, she sure did.

They both turned to see an older woman, though not much older than themselves. She appeared in her early 20's, the max Anthony would guess was no more higher than 24. In fact, aside from shorter hair, it was the same as Rias', just flax-colored instead of red. She also wore 2 necklaces, one was around the neck itself and was a red orb (not a surprise to Anthony considering the house he was in), but the other was more flower shaped and hung off... and above her chest.

Lodare Gesù. And he thought Akeno was big...

"Uh, Mom?" Said Rias, who was unaware her mother was watching them... and why'd she feel embarrassed again?

Anthony's jaw dropped, but only for a second as he put it back manually. He had to do a double take on that one. Mom? As in: _person who raised you_, and not: _messed up_ _porn fantasy_? There's no way! She looked liked her older sister! Just with shorter hair and bigger baggage! **_[Fuck us sideways and call us gigolos... she hasn't changed a bit]_** Ddraig commented, sounding enthralled by... wait? Hadn't changed? The hell did that mean? Maybe she was involved in the 3-way war?

Anthony'll ask the dragon later. Speaking of which, said dragon had a good point. Anthony wasn't a cougar chaser, but couldn't deny Rias' mom was definitely hot. Sirzechs was undeniably handsome, and Rias was highly attractive, so it only made sense those attributes had to have come from somewhere. And Anthony was looking right at it!

"You haven't brought a boy home in years... Is this your infamous Human Pawn? The media's been going crazy about him all day" said Rias' Mother. "Uh..." went Anthony, unable to think of a response. "Yes! He is! Is that a problem?" Snapped Rias, having heard enough negativity about Anthony and her all day. After doing it, she realized who she snapped at, and bowed. "I'm sorry, Mom; I..." Rias tried to apologize. "It's understandable, sweetie" said Rias' Mother, sounding understanding.

"It's only natural for a Gremory to protect their servants" Rias' Mom continued. "Even human ones?" Anthony asked, with a tone that also said: 'only human one'. "A servant is a servant. And furthermore, it shouldn't matter if your a human or not. As long as you do your duties, your still considered a Gremory" the Gremory Mother responded. Truth be told, she was also surprised hearing the news of the Underworlds first (and due to the Evil Piece recall, will forever be the only) failed reincarnate, but didn't think anything of it as long as said servant was doing his job.

Anthony felt touched at that remark. If the butlers and maids weren't enough, then this confirmed it. The Gremory's DID accept him as one of their own, even if he was a human still. "Even if one human fool ruined the future of all Devils?" Anthony said, quoting some of Riser's final words during their rematch, saying this just to be sure the mistress of the Gremory Clan was 100% with him, and not leaning away at any other percent.

Mrs. Gremory's expression softened. "To tell the truth, me and my husband knew it wasn't going to work out, but we were already locked in a contract. Such a shame one human had to ruin it" she said, being honest on the first part, then using heavy sarcasm on the last. Of course, there was some politics involved, but Anthony didn't appear to be the type that was interested in that stuff, so she spared him that headache.

Anthony at this point started to like Rias' mom. She was an understanding person, not at all like other Devils he met on this field trip. He also felt kinda guilty judging her and her husband, but based on the info he had at the time, that's how it came across. "Honestly, even we think the media is hyping this up more than necessary. A story like a failed reincarnated human is rare, but I guess seeing you and Rias today just exploded things out of control" said Mother Gremory.

"... I feel ya there" said Anthony, as his worlds media was no different. Despite being Devils, they had allot in common with humans. Emotions, wants, needs... it was all there. Only difference was one group had wings, and lived for about 10 thousand years on average. It was around this time that Rias' mom clasped her hands in Anthony's, which got him to stiffen up.

And Rias wasn't sure... but why was her heart starting to race?

"There's only so much we can do, but on behalf of the entire Gremory Family; we welcome you with open arms, Anthony Messuri. It's the least I can do for making my daughter happy" said Mrs. Gremory, and it didn't escape her notice that her daughter began to faintly blush and look down at her feet. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Compared to other boys she'd bring home, Rias didn't show emotion like this before. Her relationship with the human was deeper... much deeper.

So deep in fact, she could also tell neither teen was aware of it yet. Due to her years of experience however, she picked on it the moment she saw them come out of that garage. There was something different about Anthony... something that very few young men had. But instead of saying it out loud, it'd probably be better for the both of them to figure it out for themselves; their bond would be that much stronger.

"T-Thank you... thank you very much, Mrs. Gremory. I owe her my life after all" said Anthony, bowing in respect.

Then Rias' Mom gently grabbed his chin, catching both the Crimson Princess and the Italian Dragon completely off guard. "That's sweet dear, but you can skip the formalities with me. Gets a little old after a few thousand years. Your family now, you can call me Venelana. Or better yet, just mom" said Rias' Mom, telling Anthony her name. She saw her daughters reaction and just as she thought, she reacted accordingly. Her face was even more red, and she was shaking a little, holding herself back.

Sure she couldn't tell them... but that didn't mean she couldn't nudge them in the right direction, while also having a bit of fun with it herself. That was a mothers job after all.

Rias wanted to scream 'MOM!' But stopped herself. This was a first, her mother never did this to any other guy she'd bring home... ok, that was a lie. She'd flirt with them a bit, but they were more interested in dating Rias cause of her family name... didn't stop them from _looking_. But before meeting Anthony, her mother never went this far with it before, only a few small verbal innuendos here and there, some of which were cleverly disguised. Now however... it was quite noticeable.

It also didn't help that this triggered a natural Anthony reaction:

"I don't know; me going with your daughter on the town, now calling you Mom? You WANT people to talk?" He said, joining in on the tease. He didn't know why the Mother Devil was doing it, but wasn't gonna pass an opportunity when one presented itself. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. What happens in the Gremory house stays in the Gremory house" said Venelana. "Hmmm... sounds kinky" said Anthony with a sly smile and a double eyebrow raise.

"No, its only kinky when you say Mommy" said Venelana, matching the smile and looking right into Anthony's eyes. Damn... they were just like Rias', but Anthony held his ground. "Eh, I'm more of a Stepsister kinda guy" he returned fire, looking right into her eyes as well.

Rias was still shaking, as well as steaming now. She knew Anthony was gonna start what someone began, that's just who he is... but did her mother REALLY have to instigate it?... Actually, nevermind! This was her MOTHER! WHY WAS **HE** GOING ALONG WITH IT?!

She yanked her Pawn away by ear. "ARRRRRRRRGH!" He yelped. "I'm sorry, mom. But we have to go!" She said with her eyes closed, keeping herself as calm as possible and pulling Anthony away. "OWWWW! RIAS! CUT IT OUT! ARGH! THAT HURTS! AT LEAST POISON JAB ME FIRST!" Anthony complained as he was pulled away. Once they got far enough, Rias opened a magic circle below them to teleport them back to the human world.

After they left, Venelana giggled upon seeing Anthony and Rias go back and forth with each other. Ah, to be young and clueless. It kinda reminded the elder Devil of how she was with her husband before marrying him.

-TIME BREAK-

The next day after school concluded; outside the ORC building, Sona and Tsubaki were leading Xenovia and Irina too it. "This is Rias' Occult Research Club. You'll find her there" said Sona, still a bit nervous from what happened last time with these two. She seriously hoped Rias knew what she was getting herself into. "Thank you" was all Xenovia said as she walked up to the doors of the semi-rundown dormitory. She just wanted to get this over with, she and Irina had things to do.

Irina didn't move any further, she was still conflicted on what to do. She got over her mental snap from last chapter, but was still concerned on how this would play out. How would Anthony be? Would he be ok? The same as she remembered? A completely different person? She had so many thoughts rushing into her head at once, and it stopped her from continuing her mission.

She thought back to that day... when he was tossed out of the church like a piece of garbage... she should've done something. Anything. Maybe she should have ran away with him... then maybe he never would've been taken by Rias...

"Irina" called Xenoiva, looking back and noticing her partner wasn't moving a muscle. She understood why of course, but it didn't change the fact they had a quest to complete. They had to go in, ask Rias what they were gonna ask, then leave. Goodbye. Sayonara. Good riddance. They'd say it was a pleasure, but see ya never again. "... coming" Irina mumbled, not exactly looking forward to this.

Walking through the building, they made their way to the main office, which Sona had given them directions to beforehand. They got directly in front of the oak doors (which were nice, both girls had to admit), and Xenovia was the one to open one of them...

_A few minutes earlier..._

Inside the ORC clubhouse (though Kiba was nowhere to be seen all day), Rias told the ORC that they were expecting visitors... visitors from the church. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Doesn't holy stuff give you headaches or something?" Asked Anthony, concerned for the Devils' well-being.

"Only when its verbal or physical. Besides, Sona assured me all they wanted to do was talk" said Rias, not mentioning the other reason was they wanted to see him as well. Seriously, what could they want with him aside from a childhood friend wanting to reacquaint with him? This was the church after all, the same one that funded the Holy Sword Project, so their had to be something more...

"Oh... that was it?" Said Anthony, understanding why that would concern Devils according to Sona, but what was so complicated about that aside from a conflict of interest with him being a human and former foster kid? After all, Azazel was working on a Peace Treaty, so what else could it be?

Rias nodded. He'd realize the truth soon enough. "So, why would they wanna met with a Devil?" Anthony asked. "Who knows? This is a first for us" said Akeno. Then Koneko, who was eating chocolate on a stick again, open her eyes and looked at the direction of the oak doors with her eyes. "Their here" she said. _'Seriously, was she bit by a radioactive spider or something?'_ Anthony thought. How did this girl always seem to know when someone was around?

Upon thinking that, he heard/felt Ddraig groan again. **_[When will you learn?]_** He said to Anthony, as the oak doors opened...

The first thing Anthony saw was a girl... and he just stared, along with Asia who was standing next to him. In the doorway from their point-of-view, was a girl with long chestnut hair in equally long ponytails. The chestnut girls eyes locked only on Anthony's however, and she was starting to tear up... it was him. It was really him! Aside from looking taller (and a bit more handsome, Irina wasn't gonna lie), he didn't look any different from years ago.

"... ANTHONY!"

The chestnut girl, in a chestnut blur, flew over to Anthony and hugged him tightly, nuzzling into his chest and refusing to let go. Her emotions had reached their peak and were pouring out everywhere... her tears too. They stained his uniform.

"Oh, thank God! Your here! Your really here!" The chestnut girl said, crying hysterically and sounding VERY familiar to Anthony. But what was bothering him was, he's seen her... looking like this... in his dreams... those dreams, mind you. "Uh, er, I-I-Irina?" He stuttered, trying to remain calm. What the hell was going on? How did Irina look exactly the same from his recent dreams with some random pervert? He wasn't some rip-off person in robes that looked into crystal balls and talked to cards.

Well... the crystal ball part anyway. What can he say? He loved that card game, so much so he acted it out sometimes. He even still had that foam puzzle that hung around his neck that came with the Halloween costume.

"You... know this girl?" Asked Rias. Hearing Irina's name got a reaction from her; having heard the name before from Anthony, Ddraig and Asia. What were the odds that not two, but **_three_** childhood friends would end up in the same place? And in her territory no less. "Uh, yeah... Irina?" Said Anthony, confirming Rias' suspicions, then talking to Irina herself by looking down at her. She looked up at Anthony, tears still going down her face.

"You have no idea... how long I waited for this... to see you again" said Irina. Dear lord, she looked cute right now, despite her soiled face. "IIIIIIIIIIII can imagine" said Anthony, taking in what was happening. Ok... so Irina looked like a carbon copy of what he saw in his dreams with a kid who didn't exist... a little creepy; but not a big deal, right?... Yeah! Total coincidence! That must be it!

Until girl number 2 walked in.

"Please forgive her. She acts on her own accord" said a girl... with blue hair... with a single green bang. Anthony looked up upon hearing her voice, then froze up. Asia, though happy to see Irina, saw Anthony's expression as she was standing right next to him. He was frozen up, trembling and his eyes widened in fear, but why? "Anthony? Are you ok?" The ex-nun asked, but it didn't appear her words reached Anthony at all.

What.

The Cazzo.

Was. This. Shit?

_'No way... I've never met this girl before but... I've seen her... in that dream!'_ Anthony thought as he continued to stare, his brain overloading. How was this possible? He hadn't seen this girl once in his life, yet somehow had a dream about her. Again, Irina could be a [creepy] coincidence as he's known and seen her, but how could THIS be one?! This bluenette was Italian also, that much was already clear, but that still didn't explain jack shit!

_'Is this some Avatar: Last Airbender-type shit? How the fuck could I imagine what she looks like if I never seen her before?!'_ He questioned, trying to find answers to questions that'll never get a response to. This made less sense than the dreams themselves! At least they had some sort of content he could follow and understand what was going on, but what can justify seeing someone he never met in his entire life, yet have her appear right in front of him?

"...-hony? Anthony! Are you ok?!" Came Irina's voice, having seen Anthony enter some sort of trance, which snapped the Italian Dragon out of it. "... uh... y-yeah. I'm fine. Just... a little surprised, you know?" He gave an ambiguous answer with an equally ambiguous smile. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. He returned Irina's hug, finally; and that got her to calm down a bit. She still couldn't believe she was in his arms again, after all these years.

And was it just her, or had she seen that blonde girl next to him somewhere before?

Rias, Koneko and Akeno also saw Anthony's reaction; which was triggered as soon as the bluenette stepped into the room and made her presence known. Irina was either clueless or ignored it, but because the ORC knew him for some time, they detected Anthony's ambiguous answer the second it escaped his lips. Had he met the blue-haired girl too? Speaking of which, Xenovia too noticed Anthony's reaction to her. Not that she cared, but what was up with him? He went as pale as a bedsheet, almost as if he saw a ghost.

She did have a powerful aura due to being a holy sword user, but had a feeling that wasn't the case.

Speaking of Anthony himself, she could see why Irina wouldn't shut up about him. He was a cute boy, a 6 outta 10... and that was being generous. Aside from a kind demeanor, she couldn't tell much else about him. Where was this 'Strong Italian Stallion' Irina kept talking about? That face he gave didn't exactly scream _brave and true_. Nevertheless, he was apart of Rias' house now, so perhaps whatever he used to be got lost in his reincarnation.

Xenovia just hoped Irina would let him go now that she's seen him on the side of Devils.

"I'll excuse it. Anthony has mentioned Irina on quite a few occasions... makes me a little jealous" said Rias, humorously. Irina's eyed widened a bit, Anthony spoke about her? This made her feel very happy, it showed he never forgot about her, and she sunk deeper into the hug as a result. Anthony glared in his masters direction, did she HAVE to poke him with the pointy end of the stick right now?

This was payback for the "mommy" thing yesterday, wasn't it?

After another minute, Irina finally let go of Anthony, satisfied, and sat with Xenovia on one sofa with Rias sitting by herself on the opposite one. Behind Rias, her peerage stood behind the same sofa she was sitting on. "Thank you for agreeing to met with us, Rias Gremory, I promise we won't take up too much of your time" said Xenovia, her tone full of respect. "And thanks for letting me at least see Anthony again, it's been... really hard" said Irina, getting sad for a quick second before recovering.

"I can imagine. Anthony seems to have that effect on people" said Rias with her arms folded and legs crossed, slightly poking fun at Anthony again, but able to feel Irina's pain in that regard. She had no idea how she would feel if Anthony was separated from her for an extended period of time... uh, not that made a difference! ANY servant of her's that was out of her sight would affect her, not just Anthony!... That's what she told herself anyway.

"So, who exactly am I speaking with?" Rias continued, her question directed to Xenovia mainly since she was already aware of Irina. "Xenovia. Xenovia Quarta" said Xenovia, introducing herself. "I must admit, I'm quite surprised. Followers of God wanting to meet with a Devil? How fascinating" said Rias. "Sure it sounds random, but the thing is... some Excalibur Holy Swords have been stolen from us, and we've tracked down the thieves to your territory" said Irina.

That got a reaction from Anthony and every Devil in the room, all 5 of them were surprised. "Oh, so it wasn't just to come over for some coffee and crumbcake" Anthony commented. So it was true, Excalibur DID exist. "Exactly. More specifically, they were stolen by Fallen Angels" said Xenovia. As soon as she mentioned that, an image of Raynare flashed in Anthony's minds eye. "Well... so much for a Peace Treaty" he commented again.

"Some of the ones we can account for are with us right now" said Xenovia, holding out the covered object she came with. Even from within those sheets, the Devils could feel the power radiating from whatever was wrapped inside. Ddraig did too and by extension, so did Anthony. "This is one of them, the Sword of Destruction" Xenovia said. Once she was done introducing her sword, Irina lifted her arm to show...

"... an armband? I thought you stopped collecting those years ago" said Anthony. The reason he said this was because when they were younger, Irina had a habit of collecting them. It actually started when she got ahold of a yellow rubber one with the word: livestrong. She stopped her collecting only a few months later, having gotten bored with it.

"Very funny. This is actually Excalibur Mimic, or the Sword of Mimicry" said Irina, seeing Anthony hadn't lost his sense of humor or irony. Even if this was business, she was happy to hear Anthony's side comments again. "While this session of show-and-tell is nice, what is it you'd like from the Gremory family?" Said Rias, getting back to the topic.

It was here that Xenovia's expression, while bland, changed. Her eyes hardened, glaring right at Rias. "We'd like An-..." Irina began, feeling hopeful. Despite what she's heard about Devils, Rias Gremory seemed to be nice, yet professional. She was gonna ask about Anthony, but that's when Xenovia put an arm outstretched in front of the chestnut girl to silence her. "For you to stay out of this, it's between the church and the Fallen. No need for Devils to intervene" she said, sounding more like a demand rather than a simple request.

Ya know when you met someone for the first time and for some strange reason, you immediately get an itch in the back of your neck that you can't scratch? It's mostly an Italian thing, but that's exactly what happened to Anthony. Who did Kuina here think she was? The way she worded her 'request' sounded very much like she was pointing the finger at not just Rias, but every Devil here.

"That sounds like an accusation" said Rias, becoming a bit more assertive. "Well, who's to say you won't join the Fallen for a common goal? And aren't Devil's highly vulnerable to Holy Swords?" Asked Xenovia, knowingly.

THAT. Caused Rias' eyes to slightly flare up.

_'Nice going, Sayaka Miki; your pissing her off!'_ Anthony thought. It was at this point that Irina now panicked. Xenovia was ruining her chance at saving Anthony! Heck, before the bluenette opened her big mouth, there might have been a chance Rias was willing to listen! "UM! B-Before that, I do have a personal request!" Said Irina. Rias looked right in her direction, but didn't give a verbal response. Lord help her, those eyes...

"Uh... if its not too much to ask, could you... un-Devil-ify Anthony?" Irina asked, mentally praying Rias would.

Those eyes flared up again, now with Destruction Magic. Rias would never give up a servant, even if she was in a good mood, and especially not her favorite one. And seeing these girls didn't know Anthony's "condition"...

She slowly turned her head to look at Anthony, giving him a smile. "Anthony," she began, then moved over and patted the sofa she was sitting on. "Minding sitting with me?" She asked, and Anthony knew immediately she was up to something. What it was, only the Lord himself knew. Not wanting to be next on her shit list while she was in this mood, Anthony obeyed.

"You don't have to worry, for there is no way I would even consider getting mixed up in the reindeer games with the Fallen Angels. I would never compromise my servants or the Gremory household... and even if I did, I'd rather have God himself banish me to the deepest reaches of Hell, where I'd rot for all entirety. Is that clear enough for you?" Said Rias, retaining her calm demeanor, yet was still as assertive as before. She also completely ignored the headache she received at the mention of His name, and hid it pretty well.

"As for Anthony..." She continued.

GRAB! SMOOSH!

**Anthony**: MUMMPH!

Both Xenovia and Irina didn't expect Rias to be as bold at to pull Anthony into a "hug", their mouths slightly open. And while this didn't come as a surprise to the ORC, they didn't think Rias would take it that far either. Rias had grabbed his head, them yanked it down to rest on her chest, his arms flailing as she held him there. He even tried using the top of the sofa for leverage, but it didn't appear to do anything. The Italian was stuck there until the King decided she'd let go.

"He's perfectly fine where he is. He is a member of this household, and it will remain that way as long I breathe" Rias stated. Then, she let go, the poor boy taking in precious oxygen his lungs were craving. "_*breathes in*_ HAAAA! _*breathes in*_ HAAAA! _*breathes in*_... Is a warning too much to ask?!" He asked. **_[Who needs a warning? That was all free!]_ **Swooned Ddraig. _'You, shut up'_ Anthony ordered him.

"I hope you also understand, I won't be providing aide to your side either" said Rias to the holy sword users, completely ignoring Anthony's question. "I was only relaying the thoughts of headquarters, not my own. I didn't think the Great Devils sister would really be that stupid" said Xenovia. "Good to know, then we're done here. You have my word, no Devil in this town will interfere with your mission" said Rias, finishing the conversation.

"It is enough for me just to hear that, we'll see ourselves out" said Xenovia, getting up from the sofa. Irina mimicked this, feeling sad she had to go, and even more upset that Rias wasn't gonna give up Anthony. Even though Irina has developed fighting skills over the years, she didn't think she'd stand a chance against the sister of the Great Devil herself.

"Yeah, before 4Kids puts her in a coma again" Anthony commented. This was an eyebrow raiser to Xenovia, she didn't expect him to make a comment about her, though she had no idea what 4Kids was supposed to stand for. "Would you like some tea before you go? Or better yet, maybe a homemade snack?" Rias asked her guests, first offering Akeno's famous tea, then a _certain someones_ cooking second. Irina beamed, that sounded delightful!

Then Xenovia shut it down.

"That's very kind of you, but no thanks. We're not here to make friends" said the bluenette. She and Irina were just leaving, when Xenovia catch eye of Asia. "Aren't you... Asia Argento?" Asked Xenovia, stopping after appearing to recognize the blond ex-nun. "Um, yes?" She answered, kindly. "Wait, Asia? Wow, I didn't even recognize you! You look so beautiful!" Irina complimented. She thought the girl next to him looked familiar, but couldn't place it until now.

"Oh, uh, t-thank you Irina" said Asia with a slight blush.

"Makes sense I would run into the witch in a town like this" said Xenovia, killing the mood. This got Asia's eyes to widen, and hearing that triggered flashbacks of her being ridiculed for using her powers on a Devil. "Wait?... Asia?... Your the Witch of Twilight? I thought it was the actress or something" said Irina, giving out a nickname the poor blond nun thought she'd never hear again. Furthermore, Irina was surprised it was an Asia she knew and not a random one.

In addition to that, that made this even more awkward. First Anthony, now Asia? Asia was the LAST person Irina would think would become a Devil! Irina didn't know what else to say. She did feel conflicted on the way Xenovia spoke to Asia, but at the same time, the bluenette wasn't wrong either.

Seeing Asia's expression triggered Anthony's protective side, and was about to shoot up off the couch; but Koneko held him back by pushing down on one of his shoulders, already predicting Anthony's mood swing. Anthony silently got the message Koneko was sending: it wasn't the smartest move too pick a fight right now, but Goddammit it was tempting, and it took a large amount of Anthony's self control to keep himself from getting in the offenders face and give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Do you still believe in God, Asia? You were once a Saint after all" asked Xenovia, asking a genuine question, though her tone still came across as cold. "Xenovia, I personally know Asia. There's no way she'd let His teachings go" said Irina, sticking up for her former friend a bit, but she wasn't sure herself.

"Is that true, Asia? Even though you've fallen so far?" Asked Xenovia, her cold tone really pushing Anthony's buttons. Rias saw this, and was about to say something, but then Asia spoke for herself.

"... I never stopped," Asia's voice cracked, her emotions overflowing. She sounded like she'd cry at any second. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about Him. Though reciting anything about Him gives me a headache, I'm at least able to hold a Cross with Ddraig and Anthony's assistance... but I sometimes wish it were more, that I was able to read my favorite verses or even a simple prayer" she admitted, a few tears falling down her face.

The Devils knew Asia was religious, and that'll always be apart of her personality, but they didn't realize it affected her this badly. She said it herself, she had no regrets as long as she was by Anthony's side... but that clearly wasn't entirely true. She still missed her days as a nun, as that was one of her goals, only to be cast aside just like Anthony was for no good reason.

"Then you should allow us to execute you" Xenovia stated with no emotion.

Asia's eye's trembled along with her body. "Even though you've sinned in the worst way possible, He will forgive you if you sacrifice yourself to Him" Xenovia said, walking closer to Asia. The nun didn't move a muscle, as this triggered another flashback.

-ASIA'S FLASHBACK-

_Back when Raynare was still alive, when she threatened to kill Anthony in front of Asia, "If I wanted to, I could shred him into tiny little atoms... this is your last chance, Asia. Come with me, or he dies" Raynare warned, readying a 5th spear to prove her point. _

_"I'll... I'll go with you... just don't hurt him" said Asia. "Asia!... No wait, don't do it!" Called Anthony, stumbling back down. "Heheh, good girl. After tonight's ritual, I promise your worries will be gone forever" said Raynare, wrapping her wings around the nun, and teleporting them away._

_Asia didn't know how much time had passed, but she was now in a basement being lifted onto a cross by 2 Fallen Angels (one male wearing a fedora and another was a female in a trench coat), bound by chains. According to Raynare, this was a special ritual. "Is this... the only way?" Asked Asia. "Sadly, it is. Since you've sinned in the worst way possible, He will only forgive you for hanging out with a Devil, if we take out your Sacred Gear and purify it" Raynare said._

-END FLASHBACK-

Of course, she later learned that was a lie when the Gear itself was extracted from her, but the memory still haunted her. To Anthony, this sounded like a head game. Angry, he tried getting up again, only to be held down by Koneko, using both her hands on both his shoulders this time.

"That's enough" ordered Rias, with power in her voice. "While I allowed you here, I will not tolerate any shaming on my servant, understand?" Rias continued, standing up and crossing her arms; remaining civil, but even she was starting to get ticked off. "Oh, I wasn't shaming her senselessly. Even before becoming a Devil, she had sinned once before" said Xenovia, bringing up the reason Anthony was tossed aside for spending a night with the blond Bishop.

Rias narrowed her eyes, but before she could do anything...

Anthony had shot up from the sofa, getting out of Koneko's grasp and getting in-between both Xenovia and Asia, in front of the Bishop protectively.

"Anthony?" Questioned Akeno. "Anthony, back away from..." Rias began to order him, but he shot a glare in her direction, his eyes turning dragonic for a second. "Mark me as a Stray, cause I'm non allontanarsi" Anthony growled, still trying to remain in control of himself, while it was clear as day that he was on the verge of snapping. Rias also found his statement bold. Being marked as a Stray meant serious consequences. You could charged for such a serious crime, and it often resulted in death as Anthony has seen twice before.

She didn't even try to argue with him. When he was in this mood, there was no point... she'd probably lose anyway.

"Who do you think you are, Rem? How dare you call Asia a witch!" Said Anthony, that itch now a pain in his neck. He then turned his attention to Irina, which surprised her a bit. She's never seen him that angry before. "And YOU!... Your not gonna say anything?! Not defend her honor?! You KNOW what happened to me and her was complete rifiuti!" Anthony yelled at the chestnut-haired girl. After that, he focused back on Xenovia, the main offender.

Irina was about to respond but realized: why _didn't_ she say anything? She was there when the whole 'evil boy sleeps with nun' situation happened, so why didn't she step up now like she did a second ago? Mainly, this entire affair was beyond awkward. Both her friends were servants of Devils now, but they didn't appear 'evil' at all. In fact, they barely changed! Asia was still pretty shy and to herself, while Anthony was still spontaneous and protective.

It was just so bizarre. Conflicts of interest couldn't begin to describe this!

"Believe me, a witch is the nicest description I have for..." Xenovia began. "ZITTO!" Anthony yelled in her face, which stunned her slightly. So this was the Italian Stallion, he was starting to seep through the cracks. "All Asia wanted was to help people and make friends, what the church did to her after sending me packing wasn't her choice! SHE NEVER ASKED FOR IT!" Anthony continued.

"Asia should have better controlled her power. She gave into temptation by healing a Devil, now she IS a Devil. If she needed more than God alone, she was never a True Saint" said Xenovia, as being a True Saint was a high honor... as well as thinking there was no way Anthony could counter.

If only she knew who she was dealing with.

"True Saint? HA! That's fucking rich! She was being sacrificed for her power by some nutjob who thought she had a chance with my father!" Laughed Anthony, then he changed his tone to his smartass-mode. "What IS a Saint by the way?... A person who helps people?... Someone who goes... above and beyond for not just God, but ANYONE?" He began, walking around Xenovia as she keep her eyes on him, then he ended up back in front of Asia. "And the SECOND she does, she's ridiculed and outcast by the same people who praised her?! Go get a fucking dictionary, cause THAT'S the definition of a bunch of bathrobe-wearing hypocrites!" He stated, making a perfect counterargument, to no Devils' (and Irina's) surprise.

"Saint, Devil; it doesn't matter! Asia has the biggest heart in the history of mankind! If you or the church can't see that, your even bigger idiots than Tamaki Souh! She was only doing what she thought was right!" Anthony finished. Xenovia was a bit surprised, especially since a Devil had just said His name without being visibly pained. Still, she also had some shots left.

"I heard all about that. Instead of accepting her fate and believing God would give her eternal life, she was selfish and became a Devil. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me" Xenovia returned fire. While this was going on, Irina also looked terribly indecisive. Both Anthony and Xenovia brought up good points, but they also had information that contradicted what the other said. Who was she supposed to side with? The boy that helped her and introduced her to Asia, or her partner she knew for many years?

That's when Anthony got his Boosted Gear out, but he didn't trigger its power... he was considering it though. He also had to admit, Xenovia was good... very good.

"BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T CHOOSE! SHE WAS **DEAD**!" Anthony roared, he also had tears forming in his eyes as the memory was brought up. Both Holy Sword wielders looked shocked, Irina more so. Neither didn't know that piece of information, just that an Asia Argento became a Devil after being seen hanging out with Anthony. "... It was me... I was the one who pressured Rias into it... it was my fault..." Anthony went on, still angry but also crying a little.

Asia was more surprised than the Holy Sword users. She didn't know Anthony requested Rias to revive her. All she knew was in the darkness, she heard Rias' voice calling out to her, then she was able to open her eyes again. "N-No... It's not your..." Asia tried to say to Anthony, but he cut her off. "It was!... I was the selfish one... I wanted you back..." said Anthony, heavy emotion filling his voice, though he still did not move from his position of acting like Asia's barrier.

"So you admit your a hypocrite as well?" Asked Xenovia. "Maybe... but at least I'm honest about it..." Anthony said softly, then raised his voice. "In fact, I REALLY don't care! I'm glad I was kicked out! Otherwise I never would have gotten to meet such incredible people, or see Asia again! I lost everything, but gained it back, so if you raise even a _finger_ against her or any Devil in this room... may God spread his mercy on you AND that piece of weed on your head!" Anthony finished, having recovered from his trip down memory lane and back to defending his friends' honor, which they all appreciated.

It was official. Xenovia saw that THIS was the boy Irina kept speaking of... but she wasn't gonna take his insults laying down either. "Interesting... then your prepared to take on the entire church?" Xenovia asked.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony held out his dragon arm with its green orb glowing for a quick second, signalling its power had gone off. "I'll take on 100 churches if I have too!" Anthony declared. "Humph... big talk, for a little Devil" said Xenovia with a smile.

It was at this point Anthony made a decision...

SLASH!

Everyone on the room was shocked! He used his Gear's dragon claws to tear the cloth that was wrapped around Xenovia's blade! Before she could react, Anthony grabbed it by the hilt and yanked it out of her her grasp. "HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!" Said Xenovia, not used to being caught off guard like that, and grabbed the hilt as well. Anthony just smiled as they fought over the sword like two children over a toy. "LET GO! THIS IS CHURCH..." Xenovia was gonna say 'church property'... but then realized which hand Anthony had grabbed the sword with...

And it WASN'T the dragon one.

Both she and Irina stopped dead in their tracks, processing what they were seeing as Anthony's smile got even bigger. After staying in that position for a few seconds, Anthony pushed the sword back to Xenovia, but not hard enough to make her fall over. She was still staring at Anthony... no way. This wasn't possible! How could he have touched one of the most powerful Holy objects in existence? Even the hilt alone would cause any Devil discomfort.

Unless...

"Your... not a..." said Irina, but couldn't get the rest of the words out of her mouth. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was unclear if she was gonna say_ not affected _or _not a Devil_, but it didn't matter which answer she went with for the fact would remain the same. He may have been revived by a Devil... but he wasn't.

"Try me, Chifusa Manyuu. That sword'll go up your ass, then MY swords going down your throat" Anthony threatened, having enough of this girl. So what he saw her in his dreams? He didn't know her, and was glad he didn't!

"Is that a challenge?" Asked Xenovia, recovering from her initial shock, though already knowing the answer. "Nah, I just wanna take this outside" said Anthony, matching Xenovia's tone. "Anthony, I think that's enough" said Rias, her concern surfacing. While it sounded entertaining to see Anthony mess up this girl for her attitude, Rias also didn't want to see him get hurt. Even if he wasn't a Devil like the rest of them, an Excalibur wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"I have to agree with him on that one."

That voice surprised everyone, where did it come from? It sounded like it came from the entrance...

...

...

...

It was Kiba. When did he get here? How long was he standing there? "Who are you?" Asked Xenovia. "Oh, no one special. Just your superior, in both title and ability" said Kiba, his comment directed to Xenovia, but he didn't sound like the nice guy he was known for. He sounded cold, and a bit angry. "Kiba..." said Rias, seeing something was different about her Knight. He seemed the same as when they dealt with that last Stray, only worse.

* * *

Bit on an emotional roller coaster for Anthony upon meeting Irina and Xenovia, wasn't it? So how will things proceed from here? Will I stay true to the source material, and have Kiba and Anthony lose the upcoming sparing match? Or can they somehow win? Hope this was worth the long wait, and I'll see ya all next time on **The Italian Dragon Emperor**!

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Canino**: means "canine"

2) **Qual è la Differenza**: means "what's the difference?"

3) **Cane Pastore**: means "sheepdog"

4)** Lodare Gesù**: means "praise Jesus"

5) **Non Allontanarsi**: means "not moving"

6) **Rifiuti**: means "bullshit", "rubbish", "garbage", etc. Can also mean "refuse" in certain instances.


	34. Chapter 34

_From traveler of worlds10:_

_FINALLY! I was HOPING for your return to this amazing story I had to do a double-take when I saw this in my alert box I almost fell out of my chair. but I am glad you have returned. may your day/night be a good one thanks for your time_

_traveler of worlds 10!_

**Bakuganman**: Lol. Thanks, this made my day. This story is far from over, I just had things to sort out IRL.

_From calderoneric758:_

_So will Anthony go o all out yelling the heaven faction for what they did to him and asis and thirdly really no giorno moment where he has a dream wasted opportunity and thirdly when Asia gets fake killed it's going to be worse for who ever is in Anthony war path_

**Bakuganman**: Firstly, the Heaven Faction didn't do anything to Anthony, it was a Church (I understand how confusing that must sound). Secondly, the dreams aren't gonna happen all the time. Finally, I mentioned this before, but when we DO get to Asia getting sent to the Dimensional Gap... drop the dictionary and run.

_From Omnisaurus:_

_Holy shit, an Orthrus appearance outside of Percy Jackson and that one Monster Musume game that I never got to play (no, I'm not bitter… much). Color me impressed._  
_Also, caught that Sonic reference with Anthony & Kokabiel. No, I haven't seen the movie but I recognized that exchange from one of the trailers that played before one of my Youtube videos once. I noticed that Dinosaurs X Devils reference too but I liked the Sonic one better. Just seemed like it fit better._

**Bakuganman**: Yeah, the big dog doesn't make many appearances in mainstream as much as Cerberus. But seeing as the DxD-verse has several Cerberus', I figured it was fair to give the second Greek guard dog a small part. And yep, you caught me. The Anthony and Kokabiel exchange was also a reference to the Sonic Movie trailers.

_From Skull Crusher:_

_Man, i love your story now especially its more au. Waiting for next update_  
_The hp reference is hilarous_

_Man, this story is awesome man. Waiting for the next update_

**Bakuganman**: You were the only one to get that reference, but am I wrong? Xenovia and the main character look almost exactly the same!

_From YuanDxD:_

_Italian but named Anthony and not Antonio._

**Bakuganman**: Anthony and Antonio is the same name. Its a common name for Italian boys. Plus Anthony has called himself Antonio at least once.

_From Jack perez:_

_Wow oye me gusto mucho la historia pero tengo que decir que me tiene confundido lo del universo alternativo._

_Tambien me gustaria que entre anthony y akeno sucediera un beso o algo parecido. Siempre me gusto mucho akeno,su personalidad y su cuerpo 7u7_

**Bakuganman**: Hang on, let me translate this for the English speaking audience...

_From Jack perez (translated and edited):_

_Wow. I really liked the story, but I have to say that I am confused about the alternate universe._

_I would also like a kiss or something similar to happen between Anthony and Akeno. I always liked Akeno a lot, his personality and his body 7u7._

**Bakuganman**: The alternate universe will be explained as the story continues. For your second sentence, you said "his" personality and body... you wanna spend a night with Anthony? I can make it happen. XD! But seeing as you said Akeno beforehand, it was obviously a typo. I can't say what exactly will happen between them, but they will go on a date a one point.

_From Dragon Emperor:_

_Man , this story is so awesome. Waiting for the next update. Are you going to discontinue this?_

**Bakuganman**: HELL NO! Unless I suddenly die, this story will continue! Besides, Anthony's adventure has only just begun.

So how long has it been... 3 months? Fuck me sideways and can me a baloney sandwich, I got no excuse. All I can say is I'm sorry for worrying some of you, its been a weird year of 2020, ya know? But hey, the light novels are finally getting an English translation, so that's one good thing. Though it would have been nice to have sooner, maybe they could have worked together with that baka-tsuki project instead of taking down all that work.

Regardless, I hope it sells well with this virus.

Quick summary about this chapter: its has an original scene in the beginning which I'm sure you'll get a chuckle out of, the fight between Xenovia and Irina, some more foreshadowing, and plot points that have to do with a connection between Anthony and Kiba. What is that connection, you ask? Read on, and find out!

* * *

**Season NEW - Chapter 10: Sword Play**

Picking up where the last chapter left off; while Xenovia, Anthony and Kiba were willing to fight; it was an unfair advantage for the 2 of them to tag-team her. Irina was brought into the mix and she was willing... until it was revealed she'd be fighting Anthony. Both her and Anthony openly refused then, with Anthony being more vocal about it, and Irina also saying they could get in as much trouble as Rias could with the Devils'. But Kiba was insistent that HE was gonna fight Xenovia. Coming to an agreement wasn't easy, and after several minutes of arguing back-and-forth...

"How about we settle this by a game of chance?" Suggested Rias. "Seriously? You wanna play Rock-Paper-S...?" Anthony was asking with a deadpan expression, but that's when Rias used her magic circle to summon a giant box full of cards.

Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Anthony's to be exact.

Anthony's eyes widened. "How the hell did you...?" Anthony tried asking, but Rias used her magic again to levitate a large pile of them onto the chess table, also removing the Chess pieces that were there. She wasn't serious, was she? "Do you even know how to play?" He asked her, as she was using her magic to make a deck for herself. "I'll learn as I go" Rias insisted, taking a seat and waiting for Anthony.

"How'd you'd find my box anyway?" Anthony asked. Asia was the one to answer.

"She walked into my room after I was looking at the card you gave me when we were little. She was curious, so..." she said, but she didn't finish cause she blushed at the memory. It was the first gift Anthony had ever given her.

-FLASHBACK-

_The night after Anthony went on his 'spiritual walk' to the police station, a young Asia heard a knock on her dorm room door. "Anthony?! You shouldn't be here! If the nuns found..." Asia said, surprised Anthony was here of all places, but also worried if someone should find out._

_"That's not important," Anthony began. "I... uh... wanted to say, thank you. So..." he suddenly felt bashful about this, which was a weird feeling to him. At least, to feel this way right now. Usually, he'd only get this way when his mom kissed him on the cheek in front of other people. Shaking it off, he reached into a pocket in his pants. "I... want you to have this..." he said, pulling out a card of some sort and handing it to Asia. Obviously, she was confused._

_What she saw was a card with a white, green-eyed, blond-haired girl on it; like her! She wore a blue dress that, while VERY revealing in upper portions, had touches of pink with a gem in the middle of the outfit. Around her neck was a tight necklace that also had a gem, and she wore a blue pointy hat with pink stripes. In the background were hearts with a yellow circle, and in the corner was a random object poking out._

_The cards name on the top read: "Dark Magician Girl", so the random object was probably a wand or something._

_This character, especially what she wore, was something the nuns would definitively be __against... but for the love of Asia, she just couldn't take her eyes off of it. It was something she had never seen before... it was beautiful. "... why are you giving me this?" Asked Asia, looking back at Anthony after staring at the card. She also felt really warm on her face for some reason. What was wrong with her? Was it something she ate?_

_"I was... shuffling them up, and she fell out. It reminded me of you" said Anthony... was was he sweating? Did the air conditioning break down again? This building had so many problems..._

_Asia looked back down at the card, studying it. It didn't make much sense what anything on the card meant aside from its name. 'Gains 300 ATK for every Dark Magician or Magician of Black Chaos in either players Graveyard?' What was that supposed to mean? What were those stars in the top right-hand corner for? ATK? DEF?... well, 2000 was a pretty high number; but then what was with the extra 1700 on a different side of the card?_

_Despite not understanding a single other thing about this card... Asia felt strange, like a butterfly was trying to break out of a cocoon in her chest. __"... um. This is sweet of you, but I don't play this version of Go-Fish" Asia explained, handing the card back to him. "NO! You keep it, as a token of friendship... er, like a present" Anthony said. Besides, he had quite a few copies of this card anyway._

_Present? For her?... No one's ever gotten her anything before. Asia looked down at the card one more time, the girl in the picture smiling back at her._

-END FLASHBACK-

Ever since then, Asia kept the card, promising Anthony she'd take good care of it. In fact, she always kept it with her holy cross that she kept in a box, and even played the game with Anthony while they were alone, though she never won. She was able to "Summon" Dark Magician Girl in "Duels", but that was enough to make her feel happy. Since moving into Anthony's place, she kept it in a drawer in her bedroom. A few days ago, she was opening that same drawer, and took out the card, smiling at it once she held it in her hands. It wasn't like the stuffed animal that aged, the Dark Magician Girl card still looked as fresh as the day she got it.

That's of course, when Rias was walking by her open bedroom door and noticed her hugging the card in question; which then lead to the redhead learning about the card, why Asia had one, and the game it came from.

"Your move, big boy" Rias said to Anthony in a sassy tone. What followed was a game of Yu-Gi-Oh and if Anthony won, he'd verse Xenovia instead of Irina. Should Rias win however, the final decision was up to her. Rias however, only knew the basic rules from Asia. She lost Monster's left and right, had most (but not all) of her Spells and Traps destroyed and/or negated, and was down to her last 100 Life Points while Anthony still had his full 8000.

"Alrighty. Now I'll attack your face-down Monster with Red-Eyes... ya should have kept Kuriboh in your hand, and Blue-Eyes will attack you directly" he said after drawing his card, then destroying her face-down Kuriboh. He had quite the powerhouses on the field: 1 Blue-Eyes White Dragon (though Ddraig kept making fun of it), 1 Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Slifer the Sky Dragon (though it only had 2000 ATK at this time, and was a dragon Ddraig appeared to respect. Rias also commented on how it sort of had some of Ddraig's attributes like the red armor and orb on its head), and also 1 Summoned Skull.

Rias would have lost this round, but had 2 Traps. One called Nutrient Z to raise her LP before she was struck with all that power, and the second was Flashbang to prevent further damage to her by ending Anthony's turn. Sure she was up to 1100 now, but one attack like that... and she's finished. This was her last chance!

Everyone watched the battle closely, this was like the chess games all over again! Irina cheered Anthony on the whole time, for she didn't want to fight him either. Asia supported both Rias and Anthony, not wanting to take only one side. Koneko, Akeno, Xenovia and Kiba were silent; for they didn't have much to say. Kiba himself didn't care who won or not, he just wanted to fight either holy sword wielder, and really wished Rias and Anthony would stop playing games... literally.

"It was a good game, Ri. Not bad for a Vir-Gin-Oh" Anthony said, sure he was gonna win. Unless Rias drew Swords of Revealing Light or something similar to buy some time, her options were limited. Plus, this wasn't like Chess were she could SEE her options laid out in front of her, she had to adapt accordingly to whatever card(s) she drew.

She drew her card, giving her a total of 5 in her hand... then with a sly smile, slapped them on the table so they were spread out like a fan...

It was Exodia.

The only way to describe the sound coming out of the mouth of the exaggerated wide-eyed Anthony while he pointed to the 5 pieces of the games most iconic instant-win, was someone strangling a turkey. Rias propped her head up on the table using her arms, holding her head on top of her intertwined fingers with a smile on her face. "Checkmate" she said.

"T-T-T-THAT DOESN'T COUNT! FALLO! CHIAMO FALLO!" Anthony said. "Guess your Heart of the Cards was on my side" said Rias, shoving her victory in Anthony's face. "Bullshit! You must've did some magic shit to my cards!" Anthony said, not willing to accept he was beaten at this own game... weird. He also felt a sense of déjà vu.

"A deals a deal" said Rias, enjoying the fact she beat Anthony at his game like he did to her and Sona, but also the sight of Anthony whining about it. "I DEMAND A RECOUNT! DO-OVER! DO-OVER!" He yelled, then he got his cheek pinched by Rias from across the table. "Good game. We'll see you outside" she said while pulling on the skin of his cheek before letting go, then getting up to head outside.

_"... Good game, we'll see you outside"_ Anthony mimicked Rias' voice, then stuck his tongue out slightly and blew to make a farting noise. _**[My, my; how the table has turned...]**_ Ddraig telepathically joked, giving a toothy grin. _'Go back to your mountain, Shooting Star'_ Anthony snapped back.

-TIME BREAK-

Everyone had stepped outside in the front yard of the clubhouse. Currently; she, Akeno, Asia and Koneko were standing in a small group together. Rias' arms were crossed, Akeno's were clasped together near her waist, Asia's were held as if praying, and Koneko's were just hanging by her sides.

Even though she fought bravely for this, Rias half-approved of the sparring match that was about to go down. On one hand, she could get in serious trouble should the higher-ups find out that an unofficial battle was taking place, especially with church members. While training was an acceptable excuse she could use, that was only if it was in the current family house. For example, a Phenex can't train with a Gremory because that would be a conflict of interest.

On the other hand... Rias wanted to see 'weed head' get smoked.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Asked Akeno, for as said above, she was thinking this was a conflict of interest. She also didn't want to see Anthony or Kiba get hurt. While Anthony was still human and wouldn't be killed by a single slash of a Holy Sword, Kiba still could. Not that the Queen doubted either one of them, they both had incredible skill sets; but she was worried for their well-being all the same.

Also, Rias herself could face serious consequences should anyone in the high rankings find out, and being a Gremory wouldn't be enough to save her. "Its an informal bout, not an official battle" said Rias, her decision final. Yes, she realized she could technically get into trouble for this; but the temptation to see the blue-haired, smartass bimbo get schooled was too good of a show to miss. All she needed now was popcorn and a soda.

After all participants agreed to spar, with no killing a rule, the Church girls threw their long cloaks aside to reveal what outfits they were really wearing.

They were... interesting.

What they were wearing were suits made of leather, with long boots and gloves of the same material to match. These suits were also VERY tight-fighting, showing off every curve they had to offer. There was a gap to show some skin of the thighs, yet it covered above the knee and below. Belts also circled their groins, with a second belt under their breasts like a makeshift push-up bra. For good measure, they each had a cross around their necks, which hung low enough to go in-between their chests.

They definitely looked holy, if you wanted Anthony's "honest" opinion.

"Funny. They kicked me for impurity, but this" he commented, pointing out some more hypocrisy. "It's to help reduce drag, for better mobility while we fight" Xenovia explained. "... yeaaaaaah, that's what its for" Anthony said. He had to admit, both girls had nice bodies, with the suits amplifying that by 100.

Both Xenovia and Irina drew their weapons, holding them out while striking a pose. Creepily, Kiba began laughing, but it wasn't in a wholesome way... it radiated malice. "Your laughing?" Xenovia questioned.

"It's been years... the one thing I've wanted to destroy, is now right in front of me..." said Kiba with a dark tone, then out of nowhere, swords erupted around him in a 360 degree radius. This was no surprise to Anthony or the Devils, but Irina and Xenovia had noticeable reactions to it. "No way..." said Irina, realizing what this was. "Sword Birth, is it? Then you must be the escaped subject of the Holy Sword Project... My condolences" said Xenovia, having _some_ respect for her opponent.

Truth be told, while the swords were church property, it always disgusted her and Irina that children were used to create them. They never said anything though, talking about the origins of these weapons was a sensitive topic for the church. "Anthony, I can't believe were actually doing this. My goal was to learn how to use a Holy Sword, and help everyone after you were wrongfully cast out... God must be testing my will" said Irina, still not sure if she could do this even though they agreed too.

Anthony sweatdropped. "... think of it as a game of Smash" he said, using their favorite childhood game to try and rid her of her worries. **[Wait. YOU SMASHED?!]** Blurted out Ddraig. "NO!" Anthony yelled at his Boosted Gear. After sighing from Ddraig's gutter-minded question, "Let's just, take it easy, alright?" He continued. As much as he didn't want to fight Irina right now, a deal was a deal (which Rias'll never let him live down, he was sure).

Irina smiled and nodded at Anthony, then went on the attack after dawning a determined face. She got within striking distance of Anthony in mere seconds, then jumped above him to try and attack him with a downward slash. While she did miss due to him backing off, she did slice off a portion of a bottom corner of Anthony's Kuoh Academy jacket. "EHI! What happened to take it easy?!" Asked Anthony, barely avoiding that strike.

Irina had a flush on her face for some reason. "To reunite with one of my oldest friends, only to do battle like in our favorite game... ahhhhh! Fate can be so cruel!" She said. "I'm SO GLAD your enjoying yourself!" Anthony yelled at her with a sarcastic tone. He had seen this look many times, she would get this way whenever they'd get really into a game. She was a gamer at heart back in the day... guess that carried over to swordsmanship as well.

**[Maybe you should have used Mortal Kombat instead]** said Ddraig, suggesting Anthony should have used that game as an example instead. "Are you kidding? That's fucking worse!" Anthony appalled, holding up his dragon arm to say that to Ddraig's gem. That was the worst idea he ever heard! The last thing he need was some random-ass, deep voice in the background saying: _Finiscilo!_ (**AN:** Italian for: _Finish Him_!)

"You may wanna avoid those direct attacks, Holy Swords are no joke" said Rias. "Yeah, thanks Stella Vermillion" Anthony responded.

**[BOOST!]**

While Irina and Anthony were just starting their fight, Xenovia and Kiba hadn't even begun yet. Speaking of the Knight, he had his eyes locked on Xenovia's and her blade the entire time. "The Red Dragon's Boosted Gear, Asia's Twilight Healing and your Sword Birth... you Devils certainly aren't lacking firepower with those sacred treasures" Xenovia complimented, again showing a bit of respect.

"Believe me, this Gear isn't just for show..." Kiba began, then gabbed one of the swords he Birthed. "I wield this power thanks to the sacrifice of my fallen comrades, who were killed for NOTHING!" Kiba suddenly became even more angrier than before, and rushed at Xenovia, attempting to slice her while she blocked his attacks, though she was having a bit of trouble keeping up with his speed. One wrong move, and her head was probably going to get cut off.

"I will destroy ALL of the Excaliburs! INCLUDING their wielders! I will avenge them, and won't let their sacrifice be in vain!" Declared Kiba as he continued slashing at Xenovia. She manged to hit his sword pretty hard, forcing him to recoil, but he quickly recovered and the two kept sword fighting.

"Just being touched by a Holy Sword could put a Devil's life in jeopardy, let alone an Excalibur. Kiba's at a huge disadvantage" said Akeno, worriedly. Even if this was unofficial, the consequences were still as real. "What about Anthony? Didn't Ddraig say that an Excalibur could slay a dragon too?" Asia added, remembering Ddraig had mentioned some of Excalibur's history to her and Rias. And since Anthony was part dragon now, didn't that mean he was in just as much danger as Kiba was?

"I'm not worried. Kiba and Anthony can handle themselves" Rias said, assuring both she wasn't concerned... which wasn't entirely true. Kiba was clearly in a dark place right now, and while Anthony was as human as Irina and Xenovia; what Asia said was a good point. He was partially a dragon now due to giving up his arm. Did she doubt Kiba and Anthony's skills? No. Of course not. She DID have faith, but those swords were part of the one of the worlds most powerful weapons even by human standards. There's no telling what kind of damage they could cause.

**[BOOST!]**

When Anthony Boosted again, he mistimed his punch and Irina took it as an opening. Instinctively, Anthony covered his face with his left arm.

SLASH! CLACK!

Anthony cringed when his left arm was stuck. "OH MY GOD! I'M SO SORRY! ARE YOU...?" Irina frantically asked after finishing her attack, but...

"... Nothing happened" Anthony said, looking at his arm in confusion, half expecting to be in pain and the armor to break or something. But he was ok. Irina was also surprised, but for a few different reasons. The first was because her mind was going back to her training as she fought, so she couldn't stop herself from striking Anthony and slicing his arm off. And just as she regretted her decision, it appeared he was completely fine.

She was glad he wasn't hurt, but it damaged her pride to see that even after all her hard work, she couldn't get a scratch on an opponent.

"See? I told you, he's perfectly fine" Rias said proudly, her confidence also restored upon seeing nothing ill happen to Anthony. The sword didn't look to bother him at all, aside from his facial expression assuming it would. **[Of course we are. Its only piece of Excalibur, not the entire blade]** Ddraig said. "I thought you said it killed dragons" Anthony reminded Ddraig, looking at the green orb. **[With the sword itself, not a fragment!]** Ddraig said, trying not to sound annoyed.

Anthony blinked. "... Uh... English?"

With a heavy groan, Ddraig began to explain in greater detail.** [Blessing... Ruler... Nightmare... Transparency... Rapidly... Mimicry... Destruction... These seven swords were once a single unit that gave Excalibur and its wielder seemingly infinite power, each one containing an attribute the original sword had,]** as Ddraig spoke, we see 7 different swords with varying designs appear in a circle, one-by-one.

As Ddraig gave more facts about Excalibur, a small scene would also play along with it.

**[Blessing... the Sword of Belief. Granting one the power to expel demons, and even strengthen themselves with willpower alone.]** A blacked-out humanoid was shown surrounded by demons and then swarmed, but the radiating light of the sword repelled them once they dogpiled the swordsman.

**[Ruler... the Sword of Control. With this, the swordsman can manipulate anyone or anything they wish. And if exposed long enough, the controlled will submit to the holders will without question.]** A blacked-out humanoid raised the sword, and with a blinding light, a crowd of other individuals grabbed their heads as if in pain. After a while, they stood up straight, not moving at all unless commanded.

**[Nightmare... the Sword of Illusion. As its name implies, it can create an infinite amount of images, mental and physical, to confuse enemies. It can even give life to ones very thoughts.]** A blacked-out humanoid was fighting another swordsman, but a wall popped out of nowhere to stop to incoming attack. A second Nightmare (a clone of the original) wielder appeared from behind the other swordsman, driving the sword into its back and killing it instantly.

**[Transparency... the Sword of Invisibility. It's power should be obvious.]** A blacked-out humanoid was once again surrounded, this time by 5 other swordsmen. But just when the Transparency wielder was swarmed, it vanished. The others were confused... and couldn't stop random attacks coming out of nowhere. Be it an arm slicing off, or being pushed over and a blood wound appeared, like a stabbing. The final swordsman was grabbed in a chokehold, and his neck was sliced; the Transparency wielder reappearing at that point, and dropping the now-dead foe.

**[Rapidly... the Sword of Heavenly Flare, though Speed would be a more literal title. Not only does it give this owner a speed increase, rivaling the speed of light itself, but also enhanced stamina to keep going non-stop.]** A blacked-out humanoid had dummies around it, some in places it would be impossible to strike unless one can stand on or run along walls and ceilings. The sword glowed with power and in a flash, the Rapidly user was gone, and every single dummy was cut in half in less than 2 seconds. The swordsman reappeared, holding to sword up high in triumph.

**[And finally, Mimicry and Destruction.]** The scene changes back to the open field, showing Irina holding the sword and staring at, and Xenovia's and Kiba's swords clash. **[Mimicry can change into any shape the controller wants, with Destruction being the swords raw power.] **Ddraig finished.

"Seriously?! The sword can do all that?" Anthony asked, though mainly out of shock. It kinda made some sense to him. The Destruction sword was bulkier than the Mimic one, so all its power was focused into that thing. And speaking of Mimic, every interpretation of King Arthur's sword was drastically different for each artist and story it was involved in, so that explained why that occurred throughout the stories. Irina was also a bit surprised, not realizing these tiny pieces held so much power if they were ever brought together. They were dangerous!

Actually, it mirrored a certain guy with a monkey tail looking for balls with stars on them... what was that show again?

**[Why else to do think other Kingdoms wanted it? It's wealth in gold?]** Ddraig sarcastically remarked, still trying not to sound annoyed at Anthony's lack of knowledge on the subject. "So what your saying is, unless the entire sword is reforged, we're immune?" Asked Anthony, choosing to ignore Ddraig's last remark. **[Oh, me and my arm? We're totally fine]** Ddraig said.

Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he was implying then.

Irina was now very concerned with attacking Anthony now, gamer-girl persona or not. His left arm was protected, if what that dragon arm was saying was true, but what about the other 85% of him? The only reason she was willing before was because this was supposed to be a friendly bout, but with that big reveal of the swords' power, Irina wasn't sure if she had the heart to continue. If she was paired with Kiba, maybe. But not Anthony. He was still human... even if 15% of him was dragon now.

Irina lowered her sword. "... I can't do this..." she said, then a tear started going down her face. "Even if you are an ally to the Devils... Dear God! Forgive me! I'm not strong enough!" She said with folded hands, dropping her Holy Sword, and looking up to the sky.

Anthony couldn't stand seeing one of his friends cry. Even if they were on opposite sides. "... Irina? Pick up your sword" said Anthony gently, making Irina look at him. "W... What?" She asked. "Come on! If this was a real battle, your opponent would have cut you down already" Anthony said.

While he was trying to convince Irina to pick up her weapon, Xenovia just managed to push back an enraged Kiba, catching the scene between her fellow holy swordswoman and Red Dragon. Don't get her wrong, it was honorable for him to try and get her to continue, plus he did have a point of this was a REAL fight; but at the same time, he seemed way too nice for his own good, even if the roles were reversed.

How the hell could someone like this go toe-to-toe with Riser Phenex, one of the most powerful Devils in the Underworld? She thought this before going back into battle with Kiba, who came charging at her again.

"But if I didn't strike your dragon arm, I might have..." Irina tried to explain her hesitation, but Anthony cut her off. "Fuggedaboutit! I'll be fine, I promise" he said, then added something extra: "This is your dream, right? To learn how to use a Holy Sword because of me? Then put those skills to the test! See what you can really do with that thing!" Of course, as said before, he didn't want to fight Irina. But as long as he didn't get killed and a friend ended up getting stronger, then it was a win-win in his book.

**[BOOST!]**

Irina was stunned, but shouldn't be surprised. This was always how Anthony was, always encouraging. It was the same way when they encountered Tabuu in Smash Bros. Brawl, and it took them a bunch of tries until they finally defeated him. Irina wanted to stop playing the game after the 7th attempt, for the demon keeping killing them with knockbacks even when a minimal damage (especially that wave attack when he went into the background). But Anthony kept saying they could do it if they didn't give up.

After getting closer and closer each time, and once they DID finally destroy him, Irina could swear she FELT a fresh flood of Dopamine spread throughout her body. That was also the moment of their first kiss. She grabbed his face and planted it right on him... they both blushed afterward, though they never brought it up again.

Smiling at Anthony, Irina picked up her sword, and readied herself to go after Anthony again. Once she was ready, she sped forward and slashed at him again, though he blocked it with his dragon arm. "Come on, Asuna. Gotta be quicker than that" Anthony joked with her, egging her on. Irina then changed her Mimic into a dagger, and began swiping at Anthony with it. He narrowly avoided each swipe. She then made it into a scimitar.

SLASH! CLACK!

Right as Anthony blocked that attack, Irina immediately changed her Mimic into a zweihänder, which required her to use two hands to hold it, and swung it like a baseball bat.

**Anthony:** CHRIST!

SWOOSH!

Anthony had to duck to avoid that one. Anthony had to keep on his toes for anything Irina could think of as a weapon, since that sword will become it. He kinda hoped it could only turn into swords and not a tank...

-FANTASY-

Irina changed her Mimic into a large tank just as Anthony feared. Its cannon lowered right in his face...

BOOOOOOOOM!

Nothing left but a smoking cater of dirt.

...

...

...

Oh. And a dragon arm in the center.

(Credits roll for 2.5 seconds.)

-END FANTASY-

Anthony had to do something. A Dragon Shot maybe?... Nah, 3 Boosts was six times his own strength, that might kill her. Maybe if he condensed it down to one Boost...

_**[Why not paralyze her?]**_ Suggested Ddraig. That was actually a good idea. It'll give Anthony an opening and then he could... _'Wait, you said you don't know any para...'_ Anthony realized, remembering Ddraig didn't have that kind of magic.

THEN... he remembered the last time someone was "paralyzed".

-FLASHBACK-

_**Anthony:** Peel back the skin, and beat some meat! *snaps fingers*_

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!_

_**Mira**,** Ile**,** Nel **and** Xeulean:** AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_

-END FLASHBACK-

"... OOOOOOOOOOH NO! We are **NOT**! Doing that again!" Protested Anthony, bringing up his arm to yell at Ddraig's gem. _**[What? It'll give you an opening]**_ said Ddraig. "She doesn't want that kind of opening!" Anthony said, refusing to use Dress Break on Irina, not matter how hot it might be to watch...

_**[How do you know?]**_ Ddraig challenged him. Being alive then reborn for over thousands of years improved his intuition when it came to certain things, including emotions; especially human ones which he called 'predictable'. It was blatantly obvious that Irina (and Asia) liked Anthony a great deal. Hell, they never let go of the mementos they had of him. Be it a picture or a stuffed animal, they held onto the memories they had of Anthony like their lives depended on it.

In fact; Ddraig could also tell a few girls had, or were at least developing, feelings for his host...

"Oh gee, I don't know. Maybe cause she's CATHOLIC!" Anthony said, being sarcastic, then yelled. Seriously; does this dragons sex drive have an OFF button anywhere? Akeno and Rias... ok, fair play. But Asia and Irina? That's where he drew the line.

**_[Didn't stop you sleeping with Asia...]_ **Ddraig roasted him, not needing to go into detail about the times Anthony had already broken this unspoken rule he all of a sudden had. "Ok, number one, we were only kids. And number two, I was knocked unconscious!" Anthony defended himself, holding up a dragon claw for each offense. **_[... So you admit you were thinking it?]_** Ddraig grinned a toothy grin.

OOH-HOOOOOOO! Shots fired!

For as rare as these occasions were, Ddraig had left Anthony speechless, unable to form a comeback right away. In fact, an image of a Dress Broken Irina filled Anthony's minds eye with her moaning all the while. The poor Catholic girls suit was also torn in a sorts of directions from the thighs up. The only thing covered was bits of her arms and nether regions... everything else was "out in the open".

It was unclear which mind this originated from, or if it was from a bit of both. "... that is NOT the point!" Anthony hesitated for a second, which thankfully Irina didn't catch upon, though she was staring in confusion why he was talking to himself.

_**[You had no problem 'opening' those Pawns.]**_

"Because you tricked me."

_**[Or the Bomb Queen.]**_

"THAT WAS A DIFFERENT CONTEXT!"

_**[You said Irina was your friend.]**_

"Yeah! NOT with benefits!"

**_[You mean to tell me your not the least bit curious?]_**

"WE ARE NOT USING PAUSA VESTITO, JAKE LONG!"

Irina just watched as Anthony continued to argue with himself, now downright confused. Was he talking to the Red Dragon?... His name was Ddraig or something, right? "Um... ok? It gave us insight before, now he's arguing with it?" She asked no one in particular. Did this happen often? And what did Pausa Vesitito mean? Anthony really needs to learn to talk in plain English or Japanese, cause those languages Irina understood.

"You should watch out for that thing..." Came Koneko's voice. "Seriously, that lizard arm can blow away your clothes just by touching you" she continued, warning Irina of the danger Ddraig and his signature move posed.

"WHAT?! MY CLOTHES?!" Irina said, shocked at what she just heard. Dragons were an honorable species, right? What kind of sick freak would create a power like that?!

"KONEKO!"/**[KONEKO!]** Whined both Ddraig and Anthony. Why did Hello Kitty have to bring that up NOW?! He was already dealing with Ddraig's antics, yet the kid still thought it was a good idea to let someone know something that Anthony wasn't proud of either, and something he preferred was never brought up again.

"Is that true? You willing to use a dragons power just to see some naked breasts?" Irina asked, not wanting to believe that statement.

... Crap. How was Anthony supposed to respond to that? He sees 1 set of naked breasts almost every night, and mentioning that wouldn't be good for this situation unless he was talking to Riser or the Perverted Duo. He could say no, but then Koneko might bring up what happened at the Rating Game, shoving him further down the rabbit hole.

It didn't help what Ddraig added to the conversation...

**[Boobs aren't just naked fat ya know! They're filled with men's hopes and dreams!]**

...

...

...

Rias sighed, Asia got an embarrassed smile, Akeno kept her smile, Koneko kept her emotionless expression, and Irina was a bit shocked. As for Anthony: "... there's gotta be a mute button on this thing" he said, twisting and rotating the Boosted Gear to find such a button. **[Second of all, why would you give up such a flawless battle tactic to the enemy?]** Ddraig then asked Koneko. "Because your both the enemy to all women" Koneko simply stated.

"ME?! IT'S NOT EVEN MY ARM!" Anthony defended himself. "Yet its still attached to you" Koneko stated again; hitting them with cold, hard facts. Anthony sighed with his arms going limp and his back slouching over, then Ddraig started softly sobbing. **[Sometimes the things she says really hurt]** he whined. "No, they're just true" Anthony said.

"I can hardly believe how you ended up, Anthony. Processed by an lecherous dragon... DEAR GOD! I BEG IN YOUR WISDOM, YOU'LL NEVER FORGIVE THIS SCALY PERVERT!" Cried Irina, then putting her sword under her arm so she could fold her arms and pray. "Preach it to him, sister" said Koneko. **[IT'S NOT MY FAULLLLLLLLLT!]** Ddraig cried.

As Anthony and Irina's battle was on hold, Xenovia and Kiba were talking it to the next level. After repelling each other again for perhaps the 100th time, Kiba tried using 2 swords at once. Picking up 2 from the ground, one was a fire sword, the other was an ice one. Slashing like a madman, Kiba closed in on Xenovia while letting out a battle cry, each sword he slashed with leaving a trail of its respective element.

The yelling is what got Anthony to look at the fighting swordsmen... this wasn't like Kiba at all. Usually he was calm and collected... but now...

SLASH! SHATTER!

With a single swipe, Xenovia cut both of Kiba's swords with her Excalibur. But she wasn't done with her attack yet...

STAB! BOOOOOOOOM!

The power behind that downwards swipe caused the wind the blow, and the ground to shake. So much so that Irina lost her balance and fell on her rump. Everyone else was fine, but all were astounded by the sheer power this Excalibur piece had. It looked like Ddraig wasn't exaggerating when he said even though split, this fragment of the great Holy Sword still contained its pure might. When the dust finally settled, Xenovia was shown in a medium-sized crater, and Kiba was maybe an inch away from it.

His speed narrowly helped him avoid such a strike, but any second slower...

Kiba however, was in shock for only a second before going back to his darkened expression. "Even after being split, its still this strong... heh, there'll just be lots of carnage when I destroy all of them" he said, in a tone completely out of his character.

"Irina, you ok?" Asked Anthony as he helped Irina up from her fall by offer her his dragon hand. At first, she hesitated after hearing what it could do to her, but grabbed hold of it regardless. "Yeah, I'm ok. Not the first time she destroyed the ground" she said as Anthony pulled her up.

_**[Huh... she still has the aura control problem...]**_ Ddraig muttered to himself. Ignoring that statement as he helped Irina stand (for the Italian had no idea what Ddraig was blabbing about this time), Anthony put his attention back on Kiba. He of course, knew where this rage was coming from.

It was all that deep-seeded hatred harbored towards the Excaliburs' and the church that was responsible for using Kiba and his friends as lab rats. Anthony could understand it, seeing as he and Kiba had that much in common, only difference was Anthony was banished as opposed to being sacrificed. He disliked the church for that decision sure, but couldn't begin to imagine what it felt like holding on all the resentment Kiba had. The only thing close to that was Raynare killing his family, and he basically Thanos-ed her to oblivion once she admitted it.

Kiba then summoned forth a new sword, one that was as long as Xenovia's Destruction sword, and just as bulky. It had an intense amount of demonic power, more to be expected for a Knight. Kiba's anger must be so great, those emotions were fueling his power. With another yell, Kiba ran for... hang on. Was Kiba going slower? Usually he'd dash of towards an enemy like The Flash on meth.

Right as Kiba swung his great blade, Xenovia took advantage of Kiba's lower level of speed, and struck him on his abdomen with one of the axe-shaped blades on the hilt. It wasn't hard enough to pierce Kiba's clothes or skin, but it still had the same effect as the holy cross against Riser. Just by its touch alone, Kiba almost immediately coughed up blood. Xenovia pulled the sword away and with nothing to support Kiba's weight, the Knight fell the the ground, also dropping his sword.

"How naive... using a sword like that, while it was indeed powerful, cut back on the speed you Devil Knights are so proud of. Please tell me you understood that BEFORE creating such a blade" Xenovia reprimanded him, as it was obvious to her Kiba was fighting using his emotions, and not his brain. "Any Knight needs to fight rationally, not emotionally... but you already knew that as my superior, right?" She continued, then mocked what Kiba said earlier.

Not only was Kiba embarrassed, he was angry at both Xenovia's words... and himself. This also made Anthony a bit upset, how dare she kick a man when he was down, let alone clearly not right in the head?

Irina looked at what Xenovia had done. She always had that type of attitude, and it wasn't the first opponent she had beaten in a sword fight, but this was the first time she seen its effects firsthand on a Devil. She didn't even so much as scratch him, and Kiba doubled over in agony! "But... he was only touched" Asia said, frightened by the display before her. "A touch from a Holy Sword" said Akeno, her fears from earlier now being confirmed.

Thankfully, Kiba would be alright since it WASN'T an actual cut, the only thing _really_ damaged was his pride as he laid on the ground like a lowly worm.

"We're done here. Irina, finish up. We've got swords to find" said Xenovia, wanting to get a move on. Don't get her wrong, this was an interesting fight and all, and that Demonic Sword very well COULD have matched her Excalibur, but the only reason she was able to pull that win off was because as already stated, Kiba's speed was greatly reduced by wielding that sword. It was pretty pointless for his battle style, using quickness and agility rather than power.

Irina looked at Xenovia, at Anthony, her Mimic, then Xenovia's Destruction. She repeated this again, debating on what she should do. Should she continue fighting Anthony? He said he was ok with it, but Xenovia did have a point about hurrying up since they still had a mission to complete. But seeing the power of these swords really bothered her, what if on the odd chance Anthony missed a block? Seeing Kiba on the ground the way he was triggered a small fantasy in Irina's head. She was fighting Anthony as Xenovia said, but he mistimed a deflect, and his arm came straight off! Blood was spraying everywhere like a hose on full blast, as Anthony cried out and grabbed his limb in pain, the severed part of it staining the grass red as it sat there.

She felt her heart drop into her stomach and the acid within it burn the organ as she thought those dark thoughts. She continued to moot with herself, before coming to a decision.

...

...

...

She sheathed her Mimic, turning it back into its armband-form, surprising everyone. "I forfeit" she said, no longer willing to continue this fight anymore. It was fun at first, but became too serious for her. She couldn't put Anthony's life in danger, even if this was just a sparring match spawned by a disagreement. Irina also didn't care if Xenovia would be mad at her later, she just couldn't do it anymore.

"Good. I was hoping for a tiebreaker" said Anthony, stepping away from Irina and went towards Xenovia while punching his dragonic palm with his human fist. With Kiba down and Irina giving up, the fight wasn't over. Now to reiterate, the Devil girls DID NOT doubt Anthony, but going up against the Excalibur piece that held the full Excalibur's strength? As they saw what it did to Kiba, maybe this was going a little too far... but Rias did not call him back. Was she concerned? Of course she was. But that didn't mean Anthony couldn't knock Xenovia down a few pegs. Plus he Boosted a few times already, so he should be fine.

That, and Rias really wanted to see her taken down by her favorite Pawn.

"We don't have time for this" Xenovia said, dismissing him at first. "Awwwww... is big-bad Xena afwaid the wittle Pawn's gonna snap your sword in two?" Anthony mocked her, which had the desired effect. She looked at Anthony and frowned at his statement, obviously he was challenging her. She took another battle stance and prepared for combat again, wanting to get this over with.

**[BOOST!]**

Anthony's first move was a single Boosted Dragon Shot. It traveled to Xenovia at incredible speed...

SLASH!

Using her Destruction, Xenovia was able to cancel out the attack quite easily. "Ok... one Boost: not enough" Anthony noted. **[Of course one wasn't enough! That sword is LITERAL. DESTRUCTION]** said Ddraig. "Chiudere!" Anthony snapped at him. Xenovia then jumped at Anthony, giving a battle cry and raising her sword to strike. "HOLY XENA TITS!" He yelped as he was in range of Xenovia's attack.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

"ANTHONY!" Both Asia and Irina cried out in worry, hoping he was alright. When the dust settled, another crater was once again made by Xenovia, but Anthony was nowhere in this crater. She happened to look towards the left to see Anthony glowing for a brief second. He must have used his Pawn powers to promote himself, but into what? Reports have stated he cannot become a Queen for some reason; so that only left a Rook, Bishop, or Knight.

"Fuck me sideways with an Alaskan Pipeline" said Anthony, then with wide-eyed; he had to jump away from Xenovia coming at him again, only he dashed off in a blur. He must've promoted himself to a Knight then. "What happened to all your tough talk, Red Dragon?" Xenovia asked him.

**[BOOST!]**

"Heh. Just needed a reheat" said Anthony.

**[EXPLOSION!]**

Now even Xenovia got a bit nervous. The Boosted Gears "Explosion" call releases all its stored power at once, and according to him and the dragon spirit, Anthony only used a single Boost for that energy beam. With 4 Boosts, his strength was now 8x more powerful than it normally was. This time, Anthony seemed to fade out of existence as he booked it toward Xenovia, who barely blocked the strike from the human's dragon arm with her sword.

As the blade hit Anthony's dragon arm, he felt a surge of pain flood into his system despite its protection. Upon meeting the blade, while it wasn't life-threatening, he backed off from the bluenette. "Ow" he said, shaking off the pain in his arm literally. **[Do you not listen, or are you just deaf?] **Ddraig had to ask his host.

Before Anthony could call Ddraig a name of another pop culture dragon, Xenovia went on the move and swiped at Anthony with her sword. He was able to dodge it with both his enhanced speed as a Knight, along with its Boosted speed from Explosion. Once he did that, he circled and tried attacking her from behind. Xenovia however, already predicted that somehow (or took a wild guess and got lucky), and did a backflip to dodge Anthony's sneak attack.

Credit where credit was due. Did Anthony think she was a bitch? Yes, definitely. And he might have power and speed, but Xenovia had instincts. Likewise, Xenovia was thinking perhaps she underestimated Anthony. Did she think he was an asshole? Of course. And while she had experience, he was a quick thinker... but lets see him think his way out of this!

The second she landed on her feet, she swung her sword straight up.

SLASH!

Either she swung too late (which was unlikely) or slightly too far, and/or Anthony was already moving away; but she missed her target. She DID however, manage to slice off his school jacket from the back. Anthony stopped to crane his neck to observe the damage. Xenovia cut clean through. "Seriously? That was 100% polyester!" Said Anthony, but he didn't have time to take the halves off since Xenovia was coming again.

"Um, mister Kiba? Do you need a hand?" Asked Irina, going to Kiba's side to help him while Xenovia and Anthony fought on. Kiba did get up, but brushed her hand away. "I don't need your help" was all he said as he went over to where the rest of the ORC were standing, where Koneko also offered him to balance on her, which is also denied politely. His tone was very neutral to both the holy swordswoman and the little white-haired Devil.

With Kiba out of the crossfire, Irina watched as her two friends continued to fight each other... and it wasn't like she could ask them too stop either. If Anthony and Xenovia had one thing in common, they both had a sense of honor, and quitting something before finishing it was out of the question for them.

Back to the duel, since he was avoiding attack after attack, the torn jacket had fallen off of Anthony's person. After avoiding the latest strike, Anthony punched Xenovia in the side of her body with his dragon arm. She was launched about 10 feet across the field, and rolled along the ground due to the force of Anthony's punch. She stood back up, but it was clear the side of her torso wasn't feeling 100% now because when she tried getting up, she stumbled a bit from the pain before fully standing.

"Not bad for a 'little Devil', eh?" Anthony mocked her. He charged at Xenovia again. This was it! He was gonna...!

The green glow of the Boosted Gear subsided, the Boosted power all used up. Anthony tripped on himself due to the slightly lower speed because he didn't expect it and while he did recover reasonably quickly, Xenovia took it as a chance to swing her sword again. Since he was still Promoted to a Knight, Anthony was able to back off. Knowing he needed extra power to stand a chance against Xenovia, Anthony raised the Gear call upon its power.

"Need some juice. Looks like its Boosting Time!" He said as the Gear glowed again,

**[RESET!]**

Then dimmed just as quickly. It took Anthony a couple of seconds to register that announcement in his brain, having gotten so used to hearing "Boost" or "Explosion". He tried calling upon its power again, but there was no response. "Aw, come on! I hit my limit already?!" Anthony questioned with a hint of aggravation. He felt fine, not like when his power was completely drained the last time he hit his limit, so what was the problem?

**[That was Burst, this is a simple Reset. The Gear needs time to cool down after using Explosion]** explained Ddraig. "... HUH?!" Asked Anthony, not understanding why this new announcement was happening now of all times. If he didn't hit his limit, then why couldn't he just start Boosting again? **[It's like lifting weights! You can't keep going without a break, otherwise the weight itself will crush you!]** Ddraig explained more in detail.

"... So you have limitless power, yet have to recharge?" Asked Anthony, deadpanned. **[Yeah; _I_ do... _you_ don't]** said Ddraig. This made sense. Ddraig DID in fact have nearly a limitless supply of energy, Anthony was merely borrowing it, but only as much as his body would allow. So when he uses it all up, the Gear itself needs to recharge its batteries. In basic terms, it was another defense mechanism like Burst was; only difference there was only a short waiting period before he could restart.

It still sucked, but it made sense. "My Life as a Teenage Dragon would be so much easier if you tell me these things sooner" Anthony sighed.

Xenovia, like everyone else here, heard what the dragon said. This was her chance to turn this around before he could start increasing his power again! She rushed at Anthony, swung at him, and keep doing that in an attempt to hit him. He ducked and evaded every swipe, though he did the top of his hair cut off. At least he didn't have to pend yen to get a haircut now...

Jumping back from Xenovia's assault, Anthony used his Meat-eor Ball Shower technique to launch tiny balls of meat covered in red sauce. However, without Sona's infused magic, they didn't home in on Xenovia. His aim was almost perfect, but the fact that they weren't Boosted at all did very little to Xenovia. She either dodged, or blocked the meatballs with her sword. The only thing they did was make a pretty decent mess.

**_[I told you it was worthless in combat]_ **commented Ddraig. Anthony ignored him but saw out of the corner of his eye, he ended up near the circle of swords from Kiba's Sword Birth. As Xenovia came at him again, not caring which one he got ahold of and despite his VERY limited experience in swordsmanship, Anthony pulled out a random sword to block Xenovia's attack.

CUT!

That sword was rendered useless. She swung again, and he went for another one...

CUT!

Same result.

CUT! CUT! CUT, CUT! CUT!

Every sword Kiba had "Birthed" had now been used up, but one. The final sword was one Anthony recognized as the Holy Eraser. Kiba used that on Freeds light sword when they went to save Asia, it devoured light right? Maybe he could weaken Xenovia's Excalibur with it! Picking the sword quickly,

CUT!

So much for that idea. **_[Please tell me you didn't honestly think that would work?]_** Ddraig asked, once again annoyed. Anthony never answered, which was all the answer Ddraig needed. "Perhaps I misjudged you... that is until you began running away like a scared child" said Xenovia, giving Anthony some credit, but then went back to insulting him.

**[BOOST!]**

FINALLY! That seemed like it took forever. With him able to boost up again, Anthony held up his arm to show it off. "Your right. Why don't we change that?" He said with a smirk.

-TIME BREAK-

The battle continued for the next several minutes. Craters and singed patches of grass littered the field, a few trees were either cut down or looked like they've been blasted with a ray gun, and now both participants held themselves up with their choice of weapon, taking in deep breathes to fill their tired bodies with fresh oxygen. Both Italians clothes were tattered: Anthony's had cuts in the fabric, and Xenovia's had patches disintegrated, though these were from Dragon Shots and not Dress Break.

Neither wanted to give up. It wasn't that one was more powerful than the other, while they did have different skill sets. The simple truth of the matter was: they were both stubborn.

Anthony went to stand first, getting up slowly. His legs shook like Jello during an earthquake, and he unfortunately lost his balance and fell in the dirt. Seeing this, Xenovia went to get up herself and try to finish him off, but her legs shook the same way and was forced to use her sword to keep balance. Both didn't want to admit it, but they were both incredibly weak from that drawn-out battle. The high schoolers watching found this worrying, but also admirable. Both fighters refused to give up on their beliefs, but it was concerning on what injuries they may have sustained.

**[Since you two aren't gonna say it, I think we should call it a draw]** Ddraig spoke up, suggesting they end the fight here as it wasn't going anywhere.

"A draw?! But we're not finished!" Anthony protested, bring his Gear in front of him, not willing to give in despite being completely out of gas. He wanted to defend Asia's and Kiba's honor, he couldn't quit now! **[Ok... if either of you can stand for more than 3 seconds without falling over yourselves, then fine]** Ddraig sarcastically remarked. Getting a bit irritated at that, Anthony went to prove him wrong, only he couldn't lift himself all the way off the ground.

**[Stop... stop. Your gonna hurt yourself. This battle is over]** Ddraig told his master in a concerned tone. "What about fighting like a real dragon?" Said Anthony, turning one of Ddraig's quotes against him. **[Unless you wanna trigger Burst again, I highly recommend standing down. Besides, look at her,]** Ddraig said, warning what could happen if Anthony continued fighting. He would relive falling down a roof again.

Speaking of Ddraig's mention of Xenovia. She was doing about as well as Anthony was, not able to stand on her own two feet due to exhaustion. **[Miss Quarta is in a Burst state of her own. Neither one of you can even so much as piss, let alone fight.]** And Ddraig was right. She and Anthony have gone nonstop for a while now, and neither showed either sign of faltering, but they were too proud to admit defeat.

**[Unofficial battle or not, you still both fought for what you believed in. That is a victory within itself. But before you both do irreversible damage to your bodies, I suggest you leave it here. Because at this rate, you'll keep fighting, and then you'll BOTH go down, completely nullifying the whole point]** Ddraig concluded, giving some words of wisdom.

It was actually Xenovia who spoke up first. "... fine. I can accept that" she said. Like Anthony, she didn't want to stop until the matter was settled, but what was the point of you had no energy left to the point you can't even do the basic function of standing? "... eh, alcuno" said Anthony, not wanting to surrender, but understood the logic behind it.

Seeing that the duel had come to a close, Irina and Xenovia went to pick up their respective robes they tossed off earlier. Akeno and Asia kindly offered their healing magic and while Irina welcomed, it, Xenovia denied it. "Since we're done here, we'll be on our way" said Xenovia, putting her robes back on. As she turned to leave,

"Just out of curiosity... do you happen to have any leads on what Fallen Angels stole your precious swords?" Asked Rias, getting Xenovia's attention. "Leads? We already know who... Kokabiel of the Grigoris" said Xenovia.

While Anthony was getting healed by Akeno, the name Kokabiel got both his and Rias' attention, Anthony having heard of it during his time at the church. "Kokabiel? Isn't that the same Fallen Angel that has an army of over 300 thousand?" He asked, wanting to make sure his facts where correct. **[Had. He lost them during the Great War, and the Fallen become the faction with the lowest ratio]** said Ddraig. "Oh, so it was your fault" said Anthony, half-joking and half-serious.

**[HEY! They walked into OUR battle! NOT my fault!]** Ddraig insisted. "You mean to tell me your both after a Leader-Class Fallen Angel? Do you both WANT to die?" Asked Rias, concerned for the both of them. Kokabiel was on par with Azazel in terms of strength, despite the latter having a higher ranking than the former. What were Xenovia and Irina going do: charge into his headquarters and ask _politely_? There's no way they'd survive... even WITH those Excaliburs!

"Like I said, no need to intervene. We're fully prepared to give our lives for the greater good" said Xenovia. "There's already been one death reported. The church sent a Priest ahead of time, but we discovered him dead in an isolated part of town" said Irina as she getting healed by Asia.

"... it was an Excalibur... from Freed Sellzen..." Kiba said. "Freed?!" Asked Asia after gasping. "Seriously? Heath Ledger?!" Anthony said, surprised to hear that name again. He then had several flashbacks about him. The first night they met, the time he violated Asia, then when they tried saving Asia and he was guarding the secret entrance to where the ex-nun was being held.

"After we took down that Stray Devil, I happened to come across him later that night. He was wielding an Excalibur himself" said Kiba, flashing back to his short one-on-one battle with him. Kiba was walking away from the factory he and the ORC had just cleaned out, then a Priest came stumbling out of the corner calling for help; though he died due to blood loss a second later. That's when he and Freed duked it out, but Freed fled using one of his smoke bombs for some reason.

"A Stray Priest?... Interesting. At least we now know what we're up against" said Xenovia. "Thank you for that piece of information, but please don't involve yourselves further in our affairs... come on, Irina. We're leaving" she thanked, but reminded them to stay out their business as agreed, then told Irina they were heading out. Irina wanted to stay, but knew she wasn't gonna be to 'free' Anthony now. She had a job to do.

Plus Xenovia sounded upset with her monotone voice... then again, she always did.

"IRINA!" Called Anthony, which got Irina to turn around, and so did Xenovia. The bluenette was curious what her partner was gonna do no that her childhood best friend had called to her. "I could care less what Karen-ovia wants to do, but YOU? Your really willing to throw you life away? For the same people that treated me like minchia?" He asked. He knew from experience that a High-Class being was no joke, he almost died at ones hands before.

But if its what she REALLY wanted, then Anthony wasn't gonna stop her. Didn't mean he couldn't try and convince her otherwise.

Irina didn't know what minchia meant, but assumed it was a negative word. Anthony seriously needs to speak in plain English around her, but he also made a good point. The church treated him poorly, not even giving him a chance at redemption. She glanced at his left hand, which was now back to normal, seeing how far he'd come since then. She couldn't help but wonder, if he stayed at the church, would he still end up becoming part dragon? If so, would he have still allied with the Devils?

Seeing the interaction between Anthony and Irina, as well as the history the two shared, Xenovia spoke for her since the chestnut-haired girl had not yet responded to Anthony's question.

"I will admit, the way they treated you was unacceptable," she began, which got a genuinely surprised reaction from the Devils, Anthony and Irina. "But the church has changed since then. There are new leaders, though they still want the swords recovered. Personally, I'd much rather have them destroyed, considering their origins and the bias towards your father."

Ya know that shattering sound you hear when you hear a bombshell piece of evidence/statement?... Well everyone froze upon hearing that. Xenovia's statement too. They were shocked more than Akeno's skill level in lightning magic.

**Rias**: Anthony's... dad?

**Asia**: ... _*has a hand over her mouth*_

**Akeno**: His father?

**Koneko**: ... _*her eyes widened a tiny bit*_

**Kiba**: ... _*still angry at the lost to an Excalibur, but also stunned at Xenoiva's declaration*_

**Irina**: Mister Messuri?

"My... my father?... W-What are ya talking about?" Asked Anthony, questioning Xenovia and looking at her with utter confusion. What about his father? Some bias? But that didn't make any sense! Besides, he was dead anyway, so what did he have to do with any of this?

Xenovia just continued looking at Anthony, searching for any sign of deceit... he really didn't know, did he? Both Italians keep staring into each others eyes from a distance. "... let's go" was all Xenovia said as she turned to leave. It wasn't part of her job to share this information, and she actually wasn't SUPPOSED to know herself. It was a heavily guarded secret, just like the Holy Sword Project. And if Anthony didn't know, perhaps there was a reason for that.

"HEY! WAIT UP!" Called Irina, running to catch up to her partner. "YO! WHAT DID YOU MEAN ABOUT MY FATHER?... Come on! I know you can hear me, or you want to speak to my manger first? Cause she's right here!" Anthony yelled after them, mainly Xenovia. He also pointed to his 'manager', whom was the redhead next to him. Xenovia nor Irina responded however, and kept walking until they were out of sight...

* * *

**Anthony's Italian Dictionary:**

1) **Fallo! Chiamo fallo**: means "Foul! I call foul"

2) **Ehi**: means "hey"

3) **Finiscilo**: means "finish him"

4) **Pausa Vestito**: means "Dress Break"

5) **Chiudere**: can be used as a ruder and/or more assertive way of telling someone to "shut up"

6) **Alcuno**: means "whatever"

7) **Minchia**: another way of saying "shit"


End file.
